It Could Happen
by PheonixFireBlack
Summary: Ray,Lily,and Travis are in 11th grade. There's a new girl at Roscoe High. It's soon found out that she's Ray's couisn. What is she up to? Is she trying to get a certain cousin and soon-to-be friend together? Is she falling for someone in the group? (no Ro
1. Arriving

Title -  
  
By - PheonixFireBlack  
  
Summary - RFR (Radio Free Roscoe) Fic. I don't think there are any of these anywhere on the net. If there are, I haven't found them. Anyhow, basically, Ray, Lily, Travis, and Robbie are all in eleventh grade. There's also a new girl at Roscoe High. She's in all of four said friends classes. We also find out, she's Ray's couisn. What is this girl up to? Is she putting things together, trying to get a certain cousin and soon-to-be friend together? And...what's this? Is she falling for someone in the group? (Robbie isn't really in this guys, I don't know how to put him in) ^_^; R/L and T/OC  
  
A/N - Alright, the first part of this chapter is going to be done in my character (Ray's cousin), Riley's P.O.V, kay? I don't do character P.O.V. too much so cut me some slack in this department, alright?  
  
I don't know if we've met any of the Roscoe crew's family so...I'm making names and personalities up, alright? Ok. now that that's all over with, I think I'll get to the story (wow...this is the shortest author's note I've ever had lol!)  
  
~*~ = same time frame but dealing with another person/ small amount of time has passed (trust me, you can tell lol!)  
  
~*~*~*~ = large amount of time has passed (day, week, month, ect...)  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ch 1 - Arriving: 9/1/06, Friday - Early afternoon  
  
I'm sure you want to know all the normal stuff people tell you in introductions. You want to know my name, how old I am, where I'm from, about my parents and all that other pointless crap, right? Well, my name's Riley, I'm 16, I don't think where I'm from is important right now, nor do I think that my parents are of any importance at the moment. Currently, I'm on a plane to go stay with my aunt, uncle and cousin. Basically, my parents didn't want to put up with me anymore so they decide to shove me onto Aunt Marie and Uncle James. Oh, and my cousin, but...you'll learn who he is later, and plus, it's not like he has to do anything with me other than deal. I've been on this damn plane for way too long. I want to get off soon. I think I hear a voice over the intercom....hold on...  
  
"We will be landing within the next twenty minutes. Please be ready by that time."  
  
Thank God. I finally get to step off this damn boring plane that I've been on for too many hours to remember. Twenty minutes later, the plane has landed and I'm finally off, able to stand and stretch. I go and find the baggage claim place and get my four bags. I'm lucky I can even get all of them. I have two on my shoulders, and two are rollers, how lucky could I get? Anyway, I look for a sign of any kind that my aunt, uncle, or cousin are around. I finally see someone that looks kind of familiar. I guess you could say he's your typical guy from a movie, or any other girls 'dream guy'. Tall, dark, and...I guess handsome, I wouldn't really know. All I can see is the back of his head, but I know it's him. There's no mistaking it's him.  
  
"Ray?"  
  
The guy turns around, looking for the one that called his name.  
  
Yep. That's him. That's my cuz. I rolled my eyes. He looked so damn clueless right now. I walked over now I'm only about a foot and a half away from his when I repeat, "Ray?"  
  
"Riley?"  
  
I grin. "Yep." I drop my bags, they're really heavy, you know.  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"Yep. It's me....you're cous....Riley, Riles, what-the-hell-ever you wanna call me, it's me." Before I could do anything else, I find myself being hugged to death by my cousin. "Ray..." I barely manage, "You're choking me to death..." Ray lets go of me and I can breathe again. "So, where's Aunt Marie and Uncle James?"  
  
He hesitates then says, "They couldn't make it..."  
  
"You...drove here?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"You....have you're licence?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"You mean it's legal for you to drive...with no adult in the car?  
  
"Riley, you're asking really stupid questions, but yes."  
  
I look upwards, "Oh good Lord. Save me!"  
  
"Hey!" Ray shoved me lightly.  
  
I laugh and picked up one of my bags. "Come on, you get to get the rest."  
  
"What?" Ray said.  
  
((Ok, I'm going to take it out of Riley's P.O.V. now))  
  
~*~  
  
About 20 minutes later....  
  
It's ok to say that the two made it safely to Ray's house. When Riley got out of the car and grabbed her two have-to-be-carried-bags, she said "I've got to admit, I'm impressed, Ray. No wrecks, running red lights, or getting pulled over at all."  
  
Ray rolled his eyes and took her other two bags. "I told you I wasn't going to kill you."  
  
~*~  
  
Later that day, around four or so, Riley was running downstairs, putting her shoulder length black hair up in a pony-tail as she went. She entered the living room and found ray on the couch watching something on tv. She plopped down beside him, "Whatcha watchin?"  
  
"I have no clue...but I think that that guy...just killed...that chick...wait...wasn't she dead ten seconds ago?"  
  
"Does she have a twin?"  
  
"I dunno..."  
  
"Are you watching this on mute?"  
  
"Yeah, that's probably one reason I'm confused, but it's fun this way..."  
  
"Making the people say really moronic things?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Yeah, I used to do that all the time."  
  
Silence quickly took over. Riley picked up the remote and unmuted the tv. Turns out it was a french station. Neither of the two teenagers could understand a word coming out of the guy's mouth who killed the chick who was back alive now, or maybe she had a twin, they had no clue.  
  
"There...not so quiet...now for some music..." She turned the tv off, got up and walked to the raido and flipped it on. She tuned to a station that actually came in but never really listened to it.  
  
"What time is it?" Ray asked.  
  
"Umm....about fifteen ta four, why?"  
  
"I am such a moron!"  
  
"We both already know that, but why are you a moron now?"  
  
"I gotta go...I have to meet my friends at..well...nevermind...anyway, I have to meet them."  
  
Riley frowned. Ray was making no sense whatsoever. "What are you going on about? You're not making any sense!"  
  
"You can...I don't know...you can do something, but I gotta go meet them..."  
  
"Can't I meet them with you? I mean, I'm gonna be living here, I'd like to have a friend or two when I start school, ya know?"  
  
"But...this is a...thing between the four of us and...I dunno if they'd like it if I brought you, unnoticed and...uh..."  
  
Riley sighed, "Fine, whatever. Go, later."  
  
"Riley...honestly, I'm sorry it's just..."  
  
"I understand. Shut up and go before you're even more late than you probably already are."  
  
"Thank you...later...bye." And he was gone, door slamming behind him.  
  
Riley heard the car start and pull out of the driveway. She stood, ran to the door, and watched him. She ran after the car a little ways but decided against it. "There's no way I'd be able to keep up with him...he's in a damn car and I'd be walking!" She turned and went back in the house, slamming the door behind her.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Thanks for reading! Review...please? Oh! And keep in mind this is my first RFR fic and I've only just started getting into the show ^_^  
  
Ch 2 Preiveiw:  
  
Title - We Might Have a Problem : 10/16/06, ~ Monday  
  
Basics: - Riley's been enrolled and been going to Roscoe High for about a month and a half now - Travis accidentally tells Riley she can come with the gang at four -- wait! Isn't that when you guys do RFR? Uh-oh!  
  
Oh! And if you guys have ANY ideas whatsoever for story titles, tell me! thanks! 


	2. We Might Have a Problem

A/N: Not much to say this time....not much happens in this chapter. Truthfully, this chapter was barely needed lol! Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ch 2 - We Might Have a Problem : 10/16/06, ~ Monday  
  
Riley had been enrolled into Roscoe High and she'd been there for about a month and a half now. Riley had three friends now, even thought they were all Ray's friend's: Robbie, who was just odd; Travis, who was confusing but cute; and Lily, who Riley was glad was there so she wasn't the only girl.  
  
Currently, it was lunch break and Riley was trying to find one of the four she always hung out with. She was almost running down the hallway. She saw someone a few feet in front of her. She couldn't really tell who he was, but she assumed she knew because of his spiky blonde hair. "Travis?"  
  
Travis froze. His eyes went wide and he swallowed. It was Riley. He had to leave. He had to leave now.  
  
"Tra-vis!" Riley called again, slowly closing the space between them as she wove through the people in the hallway.  
  
Too late. He'd been rooted to the spot for too long. He couldn't ignore her now. There were only a few people between them now. Travis turned around. "Hey, Riley."  
  
Riley sighed, "Oh thank God! At first I thought that maybe it wasn't you! Anyway, I wanna talk to you."  
  
"Ok..what abo--"  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, Riley was dragging him off somewhere. Somewhere was soon knows as an empty classroom. Travis wasn't sure he liked the thought of being in an empty class room with Riley. She was a fairly unpredictable kind of girl. "So...uh...what did you want to...talk about?"  
  
"Travis?" Riley said, eyebrow raised. "What's up? If I didn't know you better, I'd say you seem a little tense...but..I do have the pleasure of knowing you." Riley smiled.  
  
Travis hoped he wasn't blushing. It was light enough that she'd be able to tell if he was, even with the lights not on. "No...I'm not tense....I am a little confused though."  
  
Riley mock-gasped, "Travis Strong is confused? Never thought I'd see the day." She smiled and sat on the edge of the teacher's desk.  
  
"So...what was it that you wanted to talk about?"  
  
"Well, I don't like it...everyday, four o'clock you four go off and it's almost like you guys don't want me going...wherever it is that you go everyday..." She stopped for a moment. "Where do ya'll go everyday anyway?"  
  
Travis knew what she was talking about. What was he supposed to say? 'Oh, yeah, we go to our underground radio station everyday and do a radio show under our alter-egos.' No one was supposed to know their identities, so what the hell was he supposed to say?  
  
"Heeellllloooo....Earth to Travis....Did I loose the Travis signal?"  
  
"Sorry...um...well...do you wanna...come with us today?" As soon as the words had come out of his mouth Travis closed his eyes. I can't believe I just did that!  
  
Riley smiled, "Yeah...that'd be cool."  
  
"See you later then, right?"  
  
Travis nodded, "Yeah...later..."  
  
Riley grinned, slid off the desk, walked over to him, kissed him on the cheek, turned and walked out of the room.  
  
Travis blinked. That couldn't have just happened. It had to be his imagination.  
  
((Travis P.O.V.)) You know how realization has a funny way of hitting you at the last second, you know, after you've done something you shouldn't have? Well, that's how it was right now with me. Realization suddenly decided to hit me...now of all times. I just told Riley that she could come with us today at four. Four is when we do RFR. "I've got to find the other three!" ((End P.O.V.)) With that, Travis ran out of the classroom to go find Robbie, Lily, and Ray.  
  
~*~  
  
Travis didn't get to talk to the three until after their last class, and he was lucky that Riley didn't catch up with them like she usually did. Lily wasn't with the three guys yet though, she got caught up in a conversation with Riley, that's where they were.  
  
"Guys...we've got a problem..."  
  
"What kind of problem?" Robbie asked.  
  
"An RFR problem..."  
  
"What? We don't have a problem at RFR..."  
  
"Yeah...we do..."  
  
"Why? What happened?" Ray asked.  
  
"I...I kinda...told Riley she could...come with us today..."  
  
"What?" Robbie and Ray asked in unison.  
  
"Well...she's feeling left out...I mean, we go do the show every day at four and she doesn't know were we're going...."  
  
Ray grinned, "You got the hots for my cousin, don't ya?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I can tell man...I know how it is..."  
  
"Of course you would...what with you liking..."  
  
Ray saw Lily walking over and his eyes widened and he shook his head furiously. "No, man...don't do this..."  
  
"Lily and all..."  
  
"What is it?" Lily asked. "I heard my name, what are you guys talking about?"  
  
"We've got a problem." Ray said immediately.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Travis told Riley that she could come with us today..."  
  
"Like...to the show?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Why did you do that? The point of it all is to be able to do the show without anyone knowing who we are..."  
  
"I know...it's just--" Travis started.  
  
"He's got the hots for her."  
  
"No, I don't. But she's feeling left out, us four going somewhere everyday and...she doesn't know where we're going. So...I kinda told her she could come today."  
  
Lily gave him a look that basically said ,"You moron!". However, she added, "What are we going to do then? We can't exactly do the show..."  
  
Robbie decided to intervene now, "Guys, this is an easy fix. We'll just take one of the older recorded shows and play it. No one'll ever know the difference."  
  
"They might, but oh well, it's something, right?" Lily said.  
  
"It's better than nothing." Ray said. "You're such a moron, man."  
  
Travis really wished none of this had happened. Now Ray, if not the other two as well, was going to be teasing him about liking Riley. He didn't even know for himself if he liked her, how could anyone else know?  
  
~*~  
  
Later that day...  
  
"Ray?'  
  
"What is it, Riley?"  
  
"Come here!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just come here!"  
  
"Why?!"  
  
"I don't wanna yell anymore!"  
  
Ray got up and walked upstairs to his cousins room. "What?" He asked, standing in the doorway.  
  
"You know I'm going with you guys today, right?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Ok, well...later." With that, she slammed the door shut and you could hear music playing.  
  
"She's so weird..."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Hope you enjoyed that practically useless chapter lol! Anyhow....  
  
Ch 3 Preview:  
  
Title - Ch 3: Take a Breather! Stop Talking So Much! - 11/3/06 - Friday - 5:46pm  
  
Basics: -Talking....lots of it too...(hence the title) - Someone's failing a class - Someone is helping another someone with the class they are failing. - More talking...  
  
Sorry there's not more to go on that, but I can't tell too much, it'd give good stuff away! lol 


	3. Take a Breather! Stop Talking So Much!

A/N: Ok, this chapter entails quite a bit. TONS of talking...different people talking to each other at different times....trust me...lots of talking (hence the chapter title "Take a Breather! Stop Talking So Much!" Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ch 3: Take a Breather! Stop Talking So Much! - 11/3/06 - Friday - 5:46pm  
  
2 weeks later...  
  
Riley and Ray were at home, upstairs, in her room. She was laying on her bed and he was sitting in a chair that he had moved to the end of the bed. He was sitting in it backwards like most guys do.  
  
"I never have understood why people do that..." Riley said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Sit in chairs backwards."  
  
Ray shrugged, "Don't ask me.."  
  
Silence came over them for a few moments but Riley broke it by quickly turning the subject.  
  
"You like her, don't you?"  
  
Ray looked confused, "Who?"  
  
Riley smirked, "Lily."  
  
"What? No!"  
  
Riley rolled her eyes, "Riiight. That's why she's the one of you're three friends you talk about the most and you stare at her when you think no one's looking, right?"  
  
Ray swallowed. He didn't know he was that obvious. Had it always been like that? Did Travis and Robbie know? Or worse--Did Lily know? "It's not that obvious...is it?"  
  
"Well, to me it was but, you're my cousin, I guess it'd be easier for me to see than others."  
  
"No, Riley, really. Do you think I'm obvious?"  
  
She shrugged, "I think Robbie knows and Travis...well...he confuses me so...I don't know, he probably knows though. But Lily...I have a feeling that she doesn't know just yet."  
  
"So basically it's obvious to everyone except Lily...or...you think so anyway...." He paused, "Right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You really don't think she knows...do you?"  
  
"No, Ray. She doesn't know...trust me."  
  
"How do you know she doesn't know?"  
  
"Because, we're girls, we talk...about everything."  
  
"Right.."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Riley was dialing a number in her phone. She waited for three rings and there was a, "Hello?" on the other line.  
  
"Is Lily there?"  
  
"Yes. Hold on." Riley heard Lily's mother yell for her daughter that someone was on the phone for her.  
  
"Hello?" Lily's voice came over the phone.  
  
"Hey girl."  
  
"Oh, hey."  
  
"You sound kind of disappointed..."  
  
"Oh...well...usually when I get a phone call it's from Ray..."  
  
Riley rolled her eyes. She honestly didn't understand these two. "You know I was just talking to him a little while ago...about you, to be exact."  
  
"What'd he say?"  
  
"I don't know...he bored me, I didn't pay attention really."  
  
"Riley!"  
  
"What? It's the truth!"  
  
"So you honestly have no clue what he said?"  
  
"Nope, I wasn't listening...sorry."  
  
Lily sighed. "Alright, well...my dad's gotta use the phone. Later, kay?"  
  
"Alright, later."  
  
And with that, both girls hung up.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
11/10/06 - Friday - 6:23pm  
  
Ray had called Travis and, for some weird bizarre reason, told Travis to meet him at the studio. Travis was a bit confused but came anyway.  
  
"So...why did you want me here?" Travis asked.  
  
Ray ignored him, "So, you got the hots for her?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Riley."  
  
Travis rolled his eyes, "I told you before. I don't like her. We're just friends...that's all."  
  
Ray grins, "Riiight."  
  
"It's not like we don't all know about you're thing for Lily."  
  
Ray's grin faded and he immediately asked, "You don't think she knows, do you?"  
  
"No..."  
  
Silence came over the room. A few minutes of the silence go by but it's broken.  
  
"Have you even tried to ask her out?" Travis asked suddenly.  
  
"And ruin the friendship we have? Are you completely insane?"  
  
"People have told me I am..."  
  
"Well, whoever they are, they were right."  
  
"Any other reasons?"  
  
"Well...I know she doesn't like me. Why should I set myself up for something that I know will be rejection?"  
  
Travis smirked, "Just ask her out."  
  
"I'm not doing that to myself, man."  
  
~*~  
  
11/13/06 - Monday - 6:23pm  
  
Lily and Riley were at Lily's house, in her room. Riley was on her back, half way off the bed while Lily sat in a chair backwards, leaning backwards.  
  
Riley sighed, "I'm bored." She sat up, flipping to her stomach, facing Lily.  
  
Lily got up and put the chair beside the bed. She sat down and put her feet on the bed. "Wanna play choose?"  
  
Riley shrugged, "Sure, who starts?"  
  
"You I guess..."  
  
"Alright, let's start simple. Cats or dogs?"  
  
"Cats."  
  
"Nah, dogs..."  
  
This type of thing goes on for a while.  
  
"Movie star guys or guys you actually have a chance with?" Lily asked, leaning on the chair's back legs and lightly going back down.  
  
"Chance guys."  
  
"Yeah, me too, but that doesn't mean I can't swoon over the movie stars."  
  
Riley laughed. "Choose: David or Ray?"  
  
Lily stares at Riley for a moment, then hesitates before she answers. "...Ray...I guess..."  
  
There's a few moments of silence.  
  
"I don't wanna play choose anymore." Lily said.  
  
There's more silence but Riley breaks it. "Do you like Ray?"  
  
"Well, yeah, he's one of my best friends..."  
  
"No, I mean like him-like him."  
  
"Oh...well...yeah...I guess..."  
  
Riley sat up, legs crossed Indian-style, and leaned forward, "Yes or no?"  
  
"Yeah..." She waits a second, then quickly added, "You're not gonna tell him, are you?"  
  
"No, but...why?"  
  
"Iii...don't want him to know..."  
  
"Right...Ok..."  
  
~*~  
  
11/13/06 - Monday - 8:16pm  
  
Later that day, Riley was in her room, phone in hand. She seemed to be contemplating weather or not to call someone. She shrugs and dials the number.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Is Travis there?"  
  
Travis sounds surprised, "Riley?"  
  
"Yeah, hey..."  
  
"Hi..."  
  
"You probably think it's odd, me calling and all, but I have a reason."  
  
"Ok...what is it?"  
  
"Ok, we both know that Ray and Lils like each other, right?"  
  
"Right..." Travis said in a 'where is this going?' voice.  
  
"So, basically, I was thinking that maybe we could kinda...help them get together."  
  
"I don't know...I mean, I always thought that if it was meant to happen, it would."  
  
"Come on, Travis!" Riley complained, "Ray's had this burning crush on her for two and a half years now and we both know he's never gonna ask her out on his own!"  
  
"Riley, I don't know. I mean--"  
  
"Tra-vis!" Riley drew his name out, "You're always saying we all need to get to know each other better on a one-on-one basis, right? Well...This could be how you get to know me better."  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
"Please?" Riley begged.  
  
"But, Riley--"  
  
"Tra-vis..." She sounded disappointed, "Please?...I can't do it on my own..."  
  
Not only did she sound disappointed, but she was begging him to do something. Travis sighed, "Alright..."  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
"I'm not really doing anything."  
  
"But you said yes! You're gonna help me! You rock!"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
11/16/06 - Thursday Morning - 8:24am  
  
At school on Thursday, Ray was talking to himself.  
  
"I'm gonna do it...I'm gonna ask Lily to the dance.......next week."  
  
Someone comes behind Ray and puts their hands over his eyes, "Guess who?" Came the girl's voice.  
  
In a somewhat strained voice, Ray managed, "Lily?"  
  
"Yep, that's me." Lily said, taking her hands away from his eyes and walking backwards, in front of him.  
  
Ray raised an eyebrow at his friend, "Are you ok?"  
  
"I don't know. I woke up feeling really good today..." She saw that Ray didn't let the look he was giving her fade. "...And maybe a little hyper."  
  
Ray smirked, "I think I like hyper Lily." How idiotic did that sound? He thought the moment the words had come out of his mouth.  
  
"Are you going to the dance?"  
  
"I don't know...but I've got a week to think about it."  
  
"No...you have today....and some time tomorrow."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's this week."  
  
"That's this week? I thought it was next week..."  
  
"Nope, it's tomorrow, Friday, the seventh of November."  
  
"Right..." I've only got a day to do this? I think I'd rather die right now that have to ask Lily to the dance that's tomorrow today...  
  
Lily sighed, "Yeah...I wanted to go but..."  
  
Ray looked up at her, "But what?"  
  
"The guy I wanted to go with never asked."  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
Lily glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was turning the right way. "Just..." She glanced up at Ray but quickly looks away, "...Just some guy I know.."  
  
Ray seems a little crestfallen at this, "Oh..."  
  
Lily waited for Ray to catch up to her since she was a few steps ahead of him, then she turned around, "Yeah...I started liking him last year. I thought he liked me too but...I guess not..."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Well, he hasn't said or...done anything to make me think he likes me, even in the least. I just assume he likes someone else."  
  
Immediately after she finished, Ray said, "Maybe you're wrong."  
  
Lily raised an eyebrow at Ray, he had replied awfully quick. "What do you mean?"  
  
Ray looks at the floor as he speaks, "Maybe...he can't tell you, ya know? Maybe he doesn't know how to tell you or..." Ray glances at Lily, but quickly takes his gaze back to the floor. "...Or...wh-what t-to say..."  
  
Lily either didn't hear Ray stuttering, or chose to ignore it. "How would you know?"  
  
"I've got the same problem..."  
  
"Really?" Lily sounds a little interested.  
  
"Yeah...there's...a girl. I've known her for awhile...I...started liking her a couple years ago..."  
  
"And...you haven't told her, right?"  
  
"Exactly. We're...friends and...I don't wanna ruin our relation--er-- friendship."  
  
Lily smiles a little, "You wouldn't ruin you're friendship with her just because you like, asked her out or something."  
  
"But you don't know...her..."  
  
~*~  
  
11/16/06 ~ 11:45am  
  
Later that day during lunch break, Ray is talking to himself again on his way to the lunch room.  
  
"Alright...I've gotta do it today. It's gotta be today..." He pushed open the door to the cafeteria and scanned the room for Lily. He saw that she and Riley were talking over in a corner. He walked over to their table. When he had arrived, both girls had stopped talking instantly. "Lily, can I talk to you?"  
  
"Yeah. What's up?"  
  
"Uh...no...I...I mean...uh...a-alone."  
  
Riley looked at her cousin with a raised eyebrow. If she wasn't mistaken, he was nervous about something. And if she was correct, he was going to ask Lily out. She smirked at the thought.  
  
"Right, ok." She stood and started to follow him, but before she lost sight of her only girl friend, she turned around.  
  
Riley gave Lily a big grin and two thumbs up, which immediately turned into crossed fingers.  
  
Lily followed Ray out into the empty hallway.  
  
"So, what's up? Something about RFR?"  
  
"Uh..no....not exactly..."  
  
"Oh...ok...well...what is it?" Lily seemed confused. If it's not about the station, then why did he bring me out here?  
  
Lily noticed that Ray looked nervous....really nervous. Wonder why? What's up? What's going on?  
  
"Lily...I..." Ray stopped. "I-I...um..." He swallowed. "I...uh...I wanted to...uh..I..I-I w-wanted to..." He stopped again and closed his eyes.  
  
"Ray..."  
  
"No...let me...let me try and...try and finish this..." He swallowed again and opened his eyes. "Ok. Lily...I.." As soon as he glanced up at her, he lost his voice. This is going all wrong! He thought. "Nevermind..." He sighed and closed his eyes again. I can't believe I just choked like that! Why couldn't I just finish the damn sentence?  
  
"Ray, you're making no sense at all. You come into the lunch room, tell me you to talk to me...alone, it's not about RFR, you look more nervous than I could ever be when I'm playing on the open mike, you ramble on about something which completely confuses me, and then you say nevermind? Ray! Come on! What's with this?"  
  
"Nevermind, ok? Just...nevermind..."  
  
Lily sighed and rolled her eyes, "Fine." She turned on her heel and marched back into the lunch room.  
  
Ray leaned against the wall, slid down, and sighed.  
  
~*~  
  
11/16/06 ~ 12:45pm  
  
Riley was sitting in her Chemistry class, on the verge of falling asleep. She didn't understand why she needed to know about all the chemicals and what they did. She didn't exactly plan on becoming a scientist. She was surprised when the teacher announced the homework and the end of class. Riley put her books and notebook in her bag. She slung the bag over her shoulder and started walking out the door. However, before she got to the doorway, Mrs. Caralosky stopped her. "Riley, I need to speak with you."  
  
Riley closed her eyes. Here it comes... She thought as she turned around, "Yes, Mrs. Caralosky?"  
  
Before she began, Mrs. Caralosky closed the door behind the last student out of class. She walked over to stand behind her desk. "Riley...you need to pick up your grades in my class. If you're not careful, you're going to fail."  
  
Riley sighed. She never had been very good at history but this year she seemed to be worse than ever. Sure she'd failed a test or quiz every once in awhile but Riley had never actually out-and-out failed the entire class. "Alright...I'll study harder...."  
  
"As long as I know you will." She looked at Riley for a moment, as if making sure she was sincere. "You may go now."  
  
Riley nodded and went out of the room. She almost collided into someone but she didn't notice, she was too worried about finding someone she knew could help her with her Chemistry. She knew exactly who she was looking for, she just wasn't sure where he was. I've got to find him before he leaves school.... Riley opened her locker and put her other books in her bag. When she closed her locker door and turned around, she saw Travis at his locker, a few lockers down. "Travis!"  
  
The blonde boy turned at his name being called. Riley was practically running towards him. "Riley, what's going on?"  
  
"I need you're help."  
  
"With what?"  
  
"Chem. Will you come over later and help me for this test? Mrs. Caralosky said if I don't watch it, I'm gonna fail, and I can't fail, my parents will kill me when they find out!"  
  
"Yeah, I'll come over."  
  
Riley let out a breath, "Thank you!" She hugged him, kissed him on the cheek, and ran off. Before she was completely out of sight, she turned and said, "Later, Travis!"  
  
~*~  
  
11/16/06 ~ 4:46pm  
  
Travis was walking to Ray's house to help Riley with Chemistry. He arrived at the house and let out a breath. Before he could knock, the door opened, Riley standing in the doorway. "Hey!" She said, energetic as ever.  
  
"Hi." Travis was a bit surprised to find that she was already there when he had arrived.  
  
"Come on" Riley said. Travis came in and followed her upstairs, down the hall, and into the third room on the left. "This is my wonderful room." She already had her chemistry book and notes out on the bed. Riley walked over and lay down on the right side of the bed.  
  
Travis sat down in the only chair in the room. "What exactly do you have problems with?"  
  
"Chemistry."  
  
"Nothing specifically?"  
  
She shook her head, "No...I just suck at the entire subject."  
  
"Alright, let's get started then."  
  
A few hours later, Travis is now laying on the other side of the book. He had just explained something to Riley but she still didn't get it. "I don't under-stand! This doesn't make sense!"  
  
Travis sighed. This wasn't very hard. "Riley..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Travis was sitting up, legs crossed Indian-style. "There has to be something that you don't understand...one specific thing, or....more than one, but...there has to be something more definite that you're not understanding."  
  
Rily sighed. "I don't know what it is!" She had been sitting at the edge of the bed, Riley leaned backwards, her head ending up in his lap.  
  
It was obvious that this made Travis uncomfortable by the look on his face.  
  
Riley looked up at him, "Can we break?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Riley sat up quickly and went to her door, "Want anything from downstairs while I'm there?"  
  
Travis nodded while rubbing near the center of his forehead, "Tylonol would be great..."  
  
"Alright."  
  
When Riley came back she had two cans of soda, one Root Beer, one Dr. Pepper, a bag of Spicier Nacho Doritios, a bag of mixed chocolate, a 10 pack of Twix, Crunch bars, Three Musketeers, and of course, the whole bottle of Tylenol.  
  
"Plan on the world ending soon?"  
  
"Nope. I just got sodas, chips, and candy. It was just easier for me to bring the whole bottle than one little pill that I probably would have dropped on my way back upstairs." She sat down on the bed, letting the pill bottle, chips, and all the candy fall to the bed, she handed Travis the Dr. Pepper. "I really shouldn't be doing this..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Root Beer, candy, and chips? You obviously don't know me too well."  
  
"Obviously..."  
  
"You're not gonna wanna see me after I drink this...I'll be really hyper. Just ask Ray. He's seen my sugar high."  
  
"I assume I will be able to witness it today."  
  
"Yep, probably."  
  
~*~  
  
11/16/06 ~ 5:04pm  
  
After Travis left....  
  
Riley called Lily.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Lily."  
  
"Oh my GOD! I have to tell you what happened earlier today!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know! At lunch..."  
  
"Oh! Yeah, I meant to ask you about that. So, anyhow, what happened?"  
  
"Well...it's really not that great...kinda stupid, kinda boring..."  
  
"Who cares! Tell me what happened."  
  
"Well...you know, he practically dragged me to the hallway, which was completely empty, and...I dunno, it's like he was trying to say something but...he couldn't."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well...he was all..." Lily tries to imitate Ray, and does a fairly ok job at it, "" 'Lily...I...I-I...um...I...uh...I wanted to...uh..I..I-I w-wanted to...' and then he stopped."  
  
"Anything happen after that?"  
  
"Yeah. I said, 'Ray...' and then he went on, 'No...let me...let me try and...try and finish this...' He paused..'Ok. Lilly...I..' And he stopped....again.  
  
"Uh-huuh..."  
  
"Then he was all, 'Nevermind...' and I was like, 'Ray, you're making no sense at all. You come into the lunch room, tell me you to talk to me...alone, you look more nervous than I could ever be when I'm playing on an open mike, you ramble on about something which completely confuses me and then you say nevermind? Ray! Come on! What's with this?'"  
  
"Yeah...aaaand?"  
  
" The last thing he said was, 'Nevermind, ok? Just...nevermind...' I rolled my eyes, said fine, and walked off."  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
"Yeah. I'm confused. You're his cousin, you've got to know him better than I do, any clue what's going on?"  
  
"Nope...not...a...clue..." Stupid idiot! What's wrong with you? I need to talk to him about that...  
  
"Well, I gotta go, my mom wants the phone."  
  
"Alright, later Lils."  
  
"Bye Riles."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Did you like that? See? Told you there were lots of conversations going on lol!  
  
Chapter 4 Preview:  
  
Title - Ch 4: Blowing Off, Berating, and Other Random Things: 11/23/06 - Thursday Afternoon ~ 1:43pm  
  
Basics: -Travis half-way blows Riley off - Lily berates Travis for this -We see what each of the four are doing that night. 


	4. Blowing Off, Berating, and Other Random

A/N - Not much in this one, guys, you know the basis already. Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ch 4: Blowing Off, Berating, and Other Random Things: 11/23/06 - Thursday Afternoon ~ 1:43pm  
  
Travis was finding it harder and harder to keep his mind off Riley. She was in most of his classes, she sat with the four at lunch everyday, he saw her in the hallway more than needed, and there were the two times a week Chemistry study sessions. Wasn't it was bad enough that he was starting to think that he might have a crush on her? Obviously not, she was everywhere and it was getting kind of weird. Sometimes Travis would think that it might seem as if she was stalking him, but he knew that wasn't it.  
  
Riley was finding it harder to catch Travis. Sure, she had most of the classes he did. Yeah, she saw him at lunch everyday. And of course she saw him wherever they decided each week for the Chemistry study sessions, but she never really got to talk to him one-on-one about anything. She really wished he would just...be more open, talk to her more. Most of the time she saw him in the hallway at school, it was almost like he tried to ignore her, or escape from her. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could have sworn that during a few of their little study sessions, he was kind of spaced out or something--And that was very unTravis-like.  
  
Riley was standing at her locker, getting her books for her first class. She had just closed the locker door and started walking towards her class when someone ran into her. Since this had been unexpected, Riley tripped, lost balance, as well as her books, and fell. The person that ran into her stood as she started to pick up her books.  
  
He didn't know it was Riley he had run into. "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."  
  
Riley's head whipped around, her hair flying around, "Travis?"  
  
Travis looked surprised...or maybe the right word was jumpy. "Oh, Riley." Was all he could manage.  
  
Riley picked the rest of her books up and stood again, "What's up? You're all....jittery..."  
  
"I....I gotta go to class."  
  
"But, Travis...class isn't for..." She stopped, he was gone. "Another twenty minutes..." she whispered, feeling dejected.  
  
Lily had been watching everything as it happened. "Hey, Riley."  
  
Riley turned around. "Oh, hey Lily."  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Nothing, just...waiting for class to start..."  
  
The two girls walked down the hallway until they entered their home room. They sat in their seats, right next to each other.  
  
"I saw what happened."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"With Travis and all..."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Yeah, so...I'm gonna talk to him later..."  
  
"Ok..."  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Well, what? I don't care, whatever."  
  
"Alright..."  
  
~*~  
  
11/23/06 - Later...  
  
Lily ran down the hallway to catch up with her blonde haired friend. It wasn't working very well, he was too far ahead of her. "Travis!"  
  
Travis turned around. For once it wasn't Riley calling for him, it was Lily. He waited for her to get to him, "What is it?"  
  
"Today. After school. I need to talk to you. Mickey's. K?"  
  
"Ok...."  
  
Lily left a very confused Travis standing in the hallway. "What was that all about?"  
  
~*~  
  
11/23/06 ~ 3:39pm  
  
After school...  
  
Travis and Lily were at Mickey's, sitting where usually the five would sit.  
  
"What is this all about, Lily?"  
  
"I wanna talk to you, that's all."  
  
"What do you want to talk to me about?"  
  
Lily waited a moment, not sure weather she should get straight to the point. "Alright, I'll cut to the chase. I saw what happened in the hallway."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You. Riley. Hallway. This morning. I saw it."  
  
"Oh...that..." Travis said. He shifted in his seat, it was obvious he didn't want to talk about this.  
  
"So, anyway, I wanted to talk to you about that."  
  
"What's there to talk about?"  
  
"You totally blew her off! That's what there's to talk about!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh come on, Travis. You were there. She asked you what's up and you were all, 'I gotta go to class' You know class didn't start for another twenty minutes!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"She was making conversation and you practically ignored her! I wanna know why!"  
  
Travis glanced around. "Could you tone it down a bit? People are staring..."  
  
"Fine, whatever. Why?"  
  
"Why are people staring? Because you're yelling." Travis said, trying to avoid answering Lily's true question.  
  
"Travis...answer me."  
  
"What?"  
  
Lily sighed and rolled her eyes, both out of annoyance. "Why did you blow Riley off like that?"  
  
"I..I don't know...I just...I didn't want to talk."  
  
Lily leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "Travis..."  
  
"I don't know...I just...it's annoying...I mean, I didn't ask for this to happen..."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"This...whole...thing with Riley...I didn't want it, I didn't ask for it!"  
  
"I don't get it...what thing are you talking about?"  
  
"This..." He sighed and leaned back, eyes closed. "Thing..."  
  
"Travis, stop rambling, and explain what you're talking about...."  
  
"This...." He sighed again and mumbled the rest and Lily didn't hear.  
  
"What? Quite muttering!"  
  
Travis sat up, leaning forward on the table. He swallowed. "This...crush I've got on Riley..."  
  
Lily grinned, "So you like her, eh?"  
  
"No Lily, I just throw the word crush around alot." Travis said sarcastically.  
  
"So, what are you gonna do?"  
  
Travis looked up at her, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well...I mean, you're gonna ask her out or something, right?"  
  
"Iii dunno...."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I dunno...I don't know if...she likes me..."  
  
"Well you never will if you don't do something about it, ask her out or something."  
  
"But...I...I don't think I can do that."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I....No...I couldn't do that."  
  
"But why not?  
  
Travis slid to the corner of the back of the booth. "I just couldn't...there's no way...I could do that."  
  
Lily rolled her eyes as she stood and sat in the booth side of the table. She sat in it sideways, half leaning against the table, looking directly at Travis.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I can't...I'm...She..." A few more words that never came were mouthed but they didn't matter.  
  
Lily gave him a look and Travis sighed for the third time since they had started their conversation.  
  
"Look...I can't do it. I mean, sure, I've thought about it but...I just don't think it would work."  
  
"but you'll--"  
  
"Never know, right? I get that, Lily." Travis stood up and said, "Look, I gotta go, alright?" He started walking away.  
  
"But Travis!" Lily called out after him. He didn't turn but she continued. "Just call her! Talk to her! Try it!"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
11/23/06 ~ 7:07pm  
  
That night....  
  
Travis was sitting on the edge of his bed, cordless phone in hand. He was thinking about something. Should he call her? Or should he wait...and do it in person? He wasn't sure if he could do it in person, but over the phone may make it seem like he didn't want to do it in person. Why does being a teenager have to be so difficult? He fell backwards onto the bed, letting the phone drop to the floor.  
  
~*~  
  
Ray was pacing his room. He couldn't understand why he hadn't just asked her. Why it turned out the way it did. Why nothing with Lily never went as he planned it. It just never made sense. Every time he tried, it went terribly, dreadfully, horribly, extremely wrong. He sighed and fell onto his bed.  
  
~*~  
  
Lily was sitting in her chair, leaning on the back legs. She was trying to figure out what Ray had been trying to say the other day. But none of it made much sense. Most of it was stuttering and repetitious. Basically, he had been, repetitiously stutter-rambling.' Lily was tired of thinking about this. She fell into her pillows on her bed and screamed into them.  
  
~*~  
  
Riley was laying on her back on her bed, head off the side, blood rushing to her head. She wasn't so sure she liked being a teenager. Kids were always wanting to be older, be sixteen, seventeen, and by then they wanna be eighteen so they could be free. Riley never understood that. Sure, when you're eighteen you can move out, be on your own, but it also meant you had tons more responsibility. If you get an apartment, you have to pay rent and all the bills and everything, she just never understood. She couldn't take the blood going to her head any more and sat up. "Maybe I should call him..." She thought aloud. "Naw..."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Well....what'd ya think? ^_^  
  
Chapter 5 Preview:  
  
Title - Ch 5: Possible Dates and Forgetfulness - 12/1/06 ~ Friday ~ 9:17am  
  
Basics: - Someone asks another someone out (ooohh...who is it? lol) -The someone that gets asked out accidentally fogets about their date and freaks out. - The someone who forgot about there date apologizes for it. - Talking (does this surprise you?) - The two someones decide to start over on Monday 


	5. Possible Dates and Forgetfulness

A/N: Ahh...what's this? Ohh...interesting...you might wanna read this...this chapter is fun! lol  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ch 5: Possible Dates and Forgetfulness - 12/1/06 ~ Friday ~ 9:17am  
  
Travis had decided that he wouldn't do it on the phone, he waited until the next Monday at school.  
  
Riley was walking down the hallway when someone pulled her off her route and into a classroom. "aah!" When her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Riley was shocked to see who had dragged her into the dark room. "Travis?"  
  
"Hey, Riley."  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Not much...."  
  
"Did I miss a study session yesterday or..something?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Oh, ok." Now Riley was confused. "Did you...have a reason to drag me off from my way to class? I mean, you don't have to have a reason it's just....it's not like you, ya know?"  
  
"Yeah..uhh..I...I had a reason."  
  
"Ok...." She paused, thinking he would go into the reason. When he didn't, there was a really awkward silence. "So..." Riley shifted her weight from her left foot over to her right and suddenly broke the uncomfortable silence, "What did you need--er--want oorrr...whatever?"  
  
Travis said the first thing that came to his mind, and it all came out a bit odd, seeing as how there wasn't a full sentence out of all of it. "You. Me. Dinner. Movie. Saturday. Six-thirty." This all came out pretty fast.  
  
"Are you asking me out?"  
  
Travis licked his lips and nodded, "Y-yeah..."  
  
Riley smiled, "Alright, where are we gonna go? And...uh...we'll have to figure out the moive too."  
  
"Right..."  
  
"But we can think about that over the week, I mean, it's only Monday, we've got till Saturday so....uh...later?"  
  
"Yeah...later..."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
12/2/06 ~ Saturday ~ 1:07pm  
  
1 day later....  
  
Riley was downstairs in the living room, bored out of her mind. Her Aunt Marie came in, "What do you have planned for this wonderful Saturday, Riley?"  
  
Riley looked at her Aunt, she was always like that, happy and all. "I have a weekend full of absolutely nothing planned."  
  
"Oh, ok, dear. Maybe you could go out with you're friends or something."  
  
"Yeah...maybe...I dunno, I'll probably Lily here in a minute..." At that moment, Riley was halfway upstairs when she head the phone ring. She shrugged and decided Aunt Marie would get it.  
  
~*~  
  
12/2/06 ~ 7:27pm  
  
After being closed in her room for the past several hours, listening to music and writing in her 'story journal' Riley decided to go downstairs and get a soda. She was about halfway down the stairs and her Aunt said, "Oh, Riley, you had a phone call."  
  
"Who from?"  
  
"Travis."  
  
"What'd he say?"  
  
"Nothing really, but he sounded like he was at Mickey's."  
  
Riley's eyes widened. "Ohmygod!" she muttered to herself. "What time is it?"  
  
"Almost seven-thirty, hun."  
  
Riley slapped her forehead. "No no no no no no no!! This isn't happening, this isn't happening. This. Is. NOT. Happening!"  
  
"Honey, what's wrong?"  
  
"I'll be back down in a minute." Riley let out a whimper-like scream, ran upstairs to her room, dove onto her bed, grabbed the phone and dialed Travis' home number.  
  
"Hello?" Came a woman's voice.  
  
"Hi, Mrs. Strong, is Travis there?"  
  
"No, sorry Riley, he's not here right now, I'll have him call you though."  
  
"Thanks." Both hung up and Riley quickly dialed Travis' cell. "Please pick up..."  
  
~*~  
  
12/2/06 ~ 7:30pm  
  
Travis was walking through the park on him way back to his house. Riley had stood him up. He should have known better than to do this. Riley wasn't the kind of girl that would like him. She had probably just said yes because she knew he didn't date much and, who knows, maybe she felt sorry for him or something. Travis sighed and his cell phone rang. He picked it up and looked at the number. RileyBrennon 598-7642 He sighed again before answering, "Hello?  
  
"Travis! I'm sure you don't want to talk to me after what you think I did. I really didn't mean to...not come. I completely forgot!" Oh that sounded great, huh, Riley?  
  
Travis wasn't sure what to say, she wasn't making much sense, half of what she was saying was quite contradicting.  
  
"Travis? Are you still there?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Oh...well...um...I wanna make this up to you...I really didn't mean for this to happen. I've been writing this story that I plan on sending in to a magazine or something and I got an idea and I dunno...I just got inspiration on top of inspiration, I lost track of time and..."  
  
Travis cut her off, "Riley, calm down, it's ok."  
  
"It's ok? Are you sure? I mean, I practically stood you up!"  
  
"Riley..."  
  
"I really wanna make this up to you...uh.." She sighed. "What do you want me to do? Name it and I'll do it...unless it involves serious injury or suicide."  
  
Travis smirked. She was always coming up with the worst case scenario. "Alright..uh...I don't know."  
  
Riley grinned, "I do. Come over to my house."  
  
"Now?"  
  
"Hold on." Riley put the phone down and went into the hallway. She leaned over the banister and saw Ray in the living room. "Ray! Are Aunt Marie and Uncle James still here? Or do they go off on their night out thing?"  
  
"They're gone!" Ray called.  
  
"Thanks!" Riley turned around quickly, her hair flying in her face, ran back to her room, dove for the phone on her bed and said, "Yeah. Now."  
  
~*~  
  
12/2/06 ~ 7:53pm  
  
Travis wasn't sure why Riley had told him to come to her house, or what she had planned, but he figured no harm could come out of going. What could she have planned that could cause permanent damage? Nothing that he could think of, even if it was Riley. Oh how wrong he was....sort of....  
  
He reached the Brennon household and rang the doorbell.  
  
Riley knew Ray would get to it before she did if she never said anything. "I'll get it!" She yelled as she ran down the stairs. She finally made it down to the door. She knew who it was, it was Travis. "Hey."  
  
He was about to say something but Riley silenced him by putting a finger to her lips. "I don't want Ray to know, so go along, alright?" Travis nodded and hoped that he wouldn't have to imitate someone.  
  
"So, Lily, what's going on?" Riley asked, shoving him in front of her. She knew that would get Ray's attention, even if he didn't turn.  
  
Travis looked at her with an 'are you insane?' look on his face.  
  
She nodded slightly but took out a recorder from her pocket. She coughed and hit play.  
  
"Nothing really, just the usual. You know, trying to get R--" Lily's voice came from the recorder but Riley clicked it off. She didn't realize that she hadn't taped over that. She fast-forwarded a bit, hoping Ray hadn't noticed the time gap. "Some lyrics written, as always." With that, she turned the recorder off because Travis was already upstairs and there was no need for it anymore.  
  
Once the pair were in Riley's room and she had closed the door, Travis looked her straight in the eye, "You're insane!"  
  
"So I've been told. I've heard people think you are too..."  
  
"People think I'm weird because of all the things I know! You're just out- and-out insane!"  
  
"Ok, fine, whatever, you win, blah, blah, blah...anyway..."  
  
"Yeah...so...why did you....want me to come here? And..why did you do the whole Lily on a recorder thing?"  
  
"Well, Ray'll never know the difference, he just know's it's Lily's voice. And I wanted you to come here so I could make it up to you."  
  
"Riley..." Travis sighed, "I told you, you don't have to make it up to me."  
  
"But I want to! I feel really bad about all this..."  
  
"But..."  
  
Riley cut him off, "I asked you to come so we could discuss what I should do without using all you're cell minutes."  
  
"How thoughtful of you."  
  
Riley gave him a look, "Shut up. anyway, I told you that I'll do anything, you just have to tell me what to do."  
  
"Why don't we just....start it all over Monday? Act like...this week didn't happen?"  
  
Riley sighed but complied, "Alright, if that's what you want."  
  
"Thanks.."  
  
Riley smirked, "Yeah, now...you get to leave through the window."  
  
"And how am I going to get on the ground?"  
  
Riley frowned, "I dunno...we don't have a ladder around....hmm...scale the walls and widows?"  
  
"You are insane..."  
  
"I could distract Ray and you could leave, seeing as how he thinks Lily's here."  
  
"Well, it's not great but it's better than climbing down windows and walls."  
  
Riley ran downstairs to the living room, grabbed Ray by the arm and pulled him into the kitchen.  
  
"Hey! What are you doing?!"  
  
She hopped up onto the island-bar in the middle of the kitchen, "I wanna talk to you."  
  
"About..."  
  
"About....uh...about Lily."  
  
"Ok...what about Lily?"  
  
"Well, we both know that you're like, madly in love with the girl, so, I'm wondering..." Ray thought she sounded like Robbie just then. "Why don't you just ask her out?"  
  
There was the sound of a door shutting.  
  
"What was that?" Ray asked.  
  
"I dunno, probably Lily going home. Anyway, answer my question!"  
  
"Wait...you were...saying all that...when she was in there?!"  
  
Riley waved her hand, "She didn't hear me, trust me. Now, come on, out with it!"  
  
"I can't...I can't do it!"  
  
"If you can't do it in person do it on the phone. In an e-mail. IM her. Text her.I don't know, mail her a letter if you want to. Just do something!"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: I know this chapter was short, but the next one should make up for it a bit! ^_^  
  
Chapter 6 Preview:  
  
Title - Ch 6: Realizations, Confessions and The First Date From Hell - 12/7/06 ~ Thursday ~ 11:45am  
  
Basics: - Travis still thinks that Riley stood him up, even though that's not how he came off. - Riley proves him wrong. - Ray and Lily talk - Lily kisses someone. - Robbie is thinking about stopping RFR this year (OMG! Robbie is in here!) - One of the two dates you all have (hopefully) been waiting for.  
  
There's more but I don't wanna give anything else away *wink* 


	6. Realizations, Confessions and The First

A/N: Well guys, Riley and Travis are finally gonna go on that date Riley missed. What happens? Well...lots of things... Things go wrong with these two on their first date just like it would anyone else (well...I assume seeing as how I've never been on a date before....lol) Anyway, happy reading! Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ch 6: Realizations, Confessions and The First Date From Hell - 12/7/06 ~ Thursday ~ 11:45am  
  
Friday....  
  
Riley was starting to wonder about Travis. When he had said that they could just start over, act as if last week didn't happen she didn't think he meant they wouldn't go out this week. She was getting kind of worried though, he had cut the study sessions down to one, claiming that she was getting the hang of it and didn't need two days a week of tutoring in it. Riley knew this was a lie, however when she had gotten her Chemistry test back today. Right now, Riley Diane Brennon was hell-bent on finding Travis Anthony Strong. She was going to find out just what the hell was going on and why he was giving her the cold shoulder.  
  
Riley soon found him outside, siting under a tree. However, seeing as how he was sitting on the opposite side from where she was facing, it took her a little while to find him. "Travis Anthony Strong!" She yelled, only half way to him.  
  
Travis jumped, he hadn't been expecting anyone to full name him today. "How do you know full name?"  
  
"I have a cousin. He likes to talk. Half the time I don't listen, but I did listen to what you three's full names are."  
  
"Of course. You only hear what you want to hear."  
  
"Lily Marie Randall, Robert Alexander McGrath, Travis Anthony Strong, and of course I know his full name....Ray Jamison Brennon." Riley rattled off the group's full names quickly.  
  
"Right...I think you were yelling...."  
  
"Right. You've been ignoring me for almost the whole week! You said we could start over, act like last week didn't happen! You're the one that said that! I've been waiting for what happened last week to happen again, seeing as how we are starting over." She paused to look him directly in the eyes. "So, mind telling me why you've been giving me the cold shoulder all week?" Riley sat down.  
  
"I know what you were doing last week."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You said you would go out with me because you know I'm lacking in that..." He seemed to search for the correct word, "Department...Then, you don't show up." He shrugged, "It's fine. It happens all the time."  
  
"No! You've got it all wrong! You remember that story I caught you reading in my journal when I had gone downstairs during that one break of one of our sessions?"  
  
Travis nodded.  
  
"You remember about where you left off, right?"  
  
"You only had about five pages written."  
  
"If you looked it all over really good, you'd notice I write the date and time on all my pages."  
  
"What does this have to do with anything?"  
  
Riley pulled out her somewhat tattered black notebook. On the front in white-out it said STUFF. She flipped it open and showed him the sixth page. The date was 12/6/06, the time on the page said 1:07pm, the last page's time said 7:25pm. "It has to do with practically everything."  
  
Travis stared at the paper for a few moments before glancing at Riley. "So...you didn't....stand me up...you really did just...loose track of time...."  
  
Riley nodded slowly. "Yeah..."  
  
Travis was chewing on his lower lip. He'd jumped to conclusions and now Riley probably hated him for it all. "Do you...." He glanced at her, licking his lips, "Do you hate me?"  
  
"What? No! Why would I hate you?"  
  
"Well...it's just...I jumped to conclusions, I've been a jerk all week--"  
  
"Travis...we're teenagers, we're both seventeen. In life, especially as a teenager, shit happens."  
  
Travis shook his head and glanced up at her, "So...do you want to try it again, next Friday?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Let's start this over."  
  
"Ok. So, you just pulled me aside, right?"  
  
"Alright."  
  
"What did you want oorrr...whatever?"  
  
"You. Me. Dinner. Movie. Friday. Six-thirty."  
  
"Are you asking me out?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Alright, six-thirty, right?"  
  
"Don't forget..."  
  
They looked at each other for a few seconds and laughed.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
12/6/06 ~ 11:45am  
  
On the other side of the courtyard, Lily was leaning against a tree, arms behind her head, looked up at the clouds, through the openings in the tree she was under. She closed her eyes and never saw or heard the person come over to her. The person sat down next to her and tapped her on the shoulder. Lily jumped and let out a startled yelp. She sighed and punched him in the arm, "Ray! Don't do that!"  
  
Ray rubbed his arm where Lily hit him. "Sorry, didn't know it would freak you out so much."  
  
"Well....don't do it again..." She looked at Ray. He had that same nervous look he had that Thursday afternoon in November in the empty hallway. Although he was nervous, he didn't see quite as high-strung, though still pretty skittish. "What's up?"  
  
"Nothing..."  
  
Lily raised an eyebrow at her friend for several years. He was always really talkative but not today. For the whole day, Ray had been really quiet, and to be honest, Lily was a little worried. "Ray...what's going on? You've been really quiet....all day. You're kind of freaking me out."  
  
Ray didn't really hear what Lily had said, he was too lost in his thoughts. He blinked and looked up at her, "What?"  
  
"You've been too quiet today...you're freaking me out."  
  
"Sorry...I've just...been thinking alot lately..."  
  
Lily gave a mock look of surprise, "Ray Brennon, has been thinking? Good Lord, is the world ending?"  
  
Ray smirked and shoved her lightly. "Hey! Shut up!"  
  
Lily smiled. She had really been hoping that Ray would ask her out before Christmas break, she wasn't sure if that would happen though. Christmas break was starting in a week and three days. If he hadn't by now, maybe he didn't like her that way, maybe he just wanted to keep their relationship platonic.  
  
Ray sighed. He wanted to do it, really, he did, but he just couldn't get the courage to ask her out. He'd been trying to do that for almost the three years. He closed his eyes tight and took a few moments to try and gather what he was going to say. He had to do it. If he didn't now, there may not be another chance.  
  
However, before he could finish gathering his thoughts, Lily said, "Hey, I'll be back in a sec." She was looking over at a guy Ray didn't know as she said this. He nodded as she stood up and walked over to him. Ray watched from afar as the thought-to-be love of his life talked and flirted with him. After looking on for a few moments, Ray knew who the guy was. His name was Scott Mooney. He was somewhat popular, nothing much though, nothing like any of the jocks of the school, anyway. As Ray looked on he saw possibly the worst thing he could ever imagine: Scott leaned down and kissed Lily.  
  
Ray couldn't bear to watch any more. He stood and walked away. He walked past Riley and Travis. Riley saw the look of pain all over his face, even in the two second flash that was provided as he walked by them. Riley looked at Travis, "I'll be back..." With that she ran off after her cousin. "Ray!"  
  
Ray ignored his cousins calls for him. He wasn't about to explain everything to her. Sure, she knew that he liked Lily, but she didn't know how much he liked her.  
  
Riley ran faster so she could catch up with Ray. She didn't know what happened but she knew it had hurt him. She called for him again, "RAY!" Riley chased after him until they reached just inside the school's big double doors. Ray stopped running, slammed his fist into the nearest locker, turned and slid down to the floor. Riley walked over and knelt next to him. "Ray...what's going on?"  
  
"Nothing...it's...nothing."  
  
"The Ray Jamison Brennon I know doesn't get this upset over nothing...What happened?"  
  
Ray, who had his head on his arm, which was on his knees, lifted his head. "She kissed him...I waited too long...and...she kissed him..."  
  
"What? Who? What are you going on about?" Riley sat down, her legs to the side, one on top of the other.  
  
"Lily...she...kissed Scott Mooney.  
  
~*~  
  
12/7/06 - 11:46am  
  
As soon as Scott had kissed her, Lily pulled away. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I thought you liked me..."  
  
"No...I'm sorry but...I'm interested in someone else..." She glanced back to where she and Ray had been. She saw Ray tear his eyes away, stand, and run off. She looked back at Scott, still watching Ray run towards the school "Look, I've gotta go. Maybe I'll see you later." Lily ran off towards the school. She ran up the stone steps, she tore one of the doors open and stood there, just inside the school building. She looked as Riley tried to figure things out, as she tried to comfort her cousin. He must have told her what happened, or what he'd seen of it anyway.  
  
"Ray...I...I don't know what to say. She's been telling me that she--"  
  
Lily ran towards them, "Ray!"  
  
Ray looked up and saw Lily running towards them he put his head down, quickly whiped the few tears that had rolled down his cheeks and stared at the ground.  
  
"Ray...will you let me explain?" Lily asked, skidding to a stop, and practically slamming down on the hard floor. Her legs were in front of her, on Ray's right.  
  
"What's there to explain, Lily? That you just kissed Scott Mooney? There's not much too it, I don't really care to know the details."  
  
"No, Ray...he kissed me. You weren't there long enough to see me pull away...."  
  
Riley sat there and looked between the two. She was looking at Ray, waiting for his response.  
  
Ray looked up, "Is there anything else?"  
  
"I asked him what he was doing and he said that he though I liked him. I told him no, that I'm....interested in someone else..."  
  
Ray looked at her, "Who...who is it?"  
  
It was Lily's turn to stare at the floor now, she was blushing and didn't want Ray to see, so she let her hair fall around her face. "I...it's...um...well...he's...uh..." She stopped and bit her lower lip.  
  
"It's...who, Lils?"  
  
Lily swallowed and lifted her head just enough so that she could move her eyes to look at Ray. "Y-you..."  
  
Ray was shocked beyond describing. This has to be some really great dream of mine....this kind of thing doesn't happen to me...ever... "Wha-what?" Ray managed.  
  
"I...I like...you, Ray..."  
  
He frowned, "Then...you...November...the...dance...the guy...was it...I mean...I..." Ray stumbled over his words. He didn't like not knowing exactly what he was trying to say.  
  
Lily smiled, looking up at him, "Yeah...November, the Thursday before the dance....The guy that I was talking about....it was..it was you..." Lily could feel the heat rush to her cheeks as she said this. "So...then...at lunch that day...you were...you were...trying to..." She couldn't seem to find the words.  
  
Ray knew that he himself was blushing at Lily's statement, "Y-yeah..I..I was trying to..." He swallowed, "Ask you to the dance..."  
  
Lily wasn't sure what to say. This was all a little odd. She had never knon that Ray liked her...at all. "Ray..."  
  
Ray lifted his eyes to meet her gaze, "Yeah?"  
  
"Ho-how long have you...you know..."  
  
"I..uh...ninth grade....you?"  
  
"Uh...last...last year."  
  
Riley looked from Lily to Ray, back to Lily, and again back to her cousin.  
  
Lily stood up and the other two teenagers slowly followed. Riley turned to leave and go back to Travis. She had reached the double doors when she realized it was too quiet. She turned back and smirked and the sight. Ray and Lily were in a full lip lock. She turned back and left the building.  
  
~*~  
  
Riley had walked back to where Travis was.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Confusion. That's what. Lily was talking to Scott Mooney...he kissed Lils, Ray saw, he ran towards the school and missed Lils pulling away. They've made up and...more." Riley smirked.  
  
"More? Did they finally getting around to confessing to each other?"  
  
Riley nodded, "Yeah...and then of course, they kissed. And then I left. So...I dunno anything else."  
  
"So, it was meant to happen, and it did....just like I said?"  
  
Riley didn't know what else to do so she simply stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
~*~  
  
12/15/06 ~ Next Friday - 8:17am  
  
Travis was walking down the hallway trying to find Robbie, Ray, and Lily. He soon found the three standing around, talking. He silently thanked God that they were all three at the same place.  
  
"Hey Travis." Lily said when she saw him walking towards them.  
  
"Lily...uh...guys..."  
  
"We've been thinking...." Robbie started, "Maybe we shouldn't do RFR anymore. Maybe one last big goodbye show today...but...no more."  
  
"You've been thinking, I think we should do it till our last year here..." Lily said.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, it's just another year." Ray agreed.  
  
"What do you think, Travis?" Lily asked.  
  
"I don't know...But you can't do any kind of goodbye show today. I don't know if I can be at the studio today."  
  
"What?" All three of his friends exclaimed.  
  
"Why not?" Ray asked.  
  
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I won't be there."  
  
"What are we supposed to do? You're the one that does all the technical stuff!" Lily said.  
  
"You can manage...or...just get on the air long enough to tell everyone you're...I don't know...but make something up about not being able to do the show today."  
  
"Alright...fine." The three sighed.  
  
~*~  
  
12/15/06 ~ 5:46pm  
  
Ray was really getting annoyed of his cousin right now. Why? She was making him sit in her room and tell her which freaking outfit looked best Isn't that what Lily's for? He'd thought. Well, how was she making him? A few weeks ago she'd found out about RFR, did some listening and figured out who was who. She said that if he didn't do this, Kim Carlisle would suddenly find something on the list of topics about RFR. Ray had asked just what that would be, which she responded with, "A list of who is who. You know, Question Mark equals Robbie McGrath, Pronto equals Ray Brennon, Shady Lane equals Lily Randall, and Smog equals Travis Strong." So that was basically why he was sitting here.  
  
Currently, Riley was in a black tank top with some kind of Japaneese (or maybe it was Chinese, she wasn't sure) on it, a pair of light blue jeans with a studded belt, and black sneakers. "So?..." Riley said for what seemed like the millionth time.  
  
Ray glanced at her and rolled his eyes, "Yeah. Whatever."  
  
The seventeen year old girl stood with her hands on her hips, "Which one! This outfit, or the last one?"  
  
"This one." Ray said with no enthusiasm whatsoever.  
  
"You're no help! Go away!" She said, throwing a pillow at him as he left. The pillow hit the door as it closed and Riley flopped down on her bed. It wasn't exactly what you'd call rare for her to have a date, no, she was asked out all the time by guys at school. They were guys she didn't know or didn't want to know, but nevertheless they asked her out, and sure, she'd said yes to some of them. Those had all turned out to be really dull. But for some reason her date with Travis was different. She never really cared so much as what she wore and whatnot when she was going out, but tonight...well, come on! She had just made Ray sit through almost a whole hour of outfit changes!  
  
~*~  
  
12/15/06 ~ 5:48pm  
  
Travis was pacing around the living room, muttering to himself. His mother, Cheyanne Strong, was sitting on the couch, watching her son. She wasn't sure what he was saying to himself, but she knew that with Travis, half of it was probably down-grading. Cheyanne sighed and stood up. When Travis had turned around, facing her again, she placed a hand on either of his shoulders. "Travis, honey, what's wrong?"  
  
"I..I have a date..."  
  
The elder woman smiled and nodded, "With that nice Brennon girl, right?"  
  
Travis nodded.  
  
"Honey, you're going nuts, and quite frankly, you're on the verge of pulling me in that nutty world of yours with you. Pacing back and forth and muttering to yourself for the past..." She glanced at the clock behind Travis, "Well, it's almost been an hour. It's not like you haven't been on a date before, son."  
  
"I know but it's...it's different with Riley."  
  
"You know she's a nice, sweet young girl, don't you."  
  
Travis nodded.  
  
"She doesn't smoke, or do drugs, or drink, or anything else that's illegal, does she?"  
  
He shook his head. "No..."  
  
"Then you need to stop pacing, definitely stop talking to yourself, and calm down. It's just a date."  
  
Just a date... He thought, With Riley Diane Brennon...oh this should be a trip...  
  
~*~  
  
12/15/06 ~ 5:57pm  
  
Travis grabbed his car keys and walked out the door. He got in his '72 Camero and back out of the drive way. He soon arrived at the Brennon house as found Riley sitting on the front porch, waiting for him. Riley saw Travis pull up and she stood. She started down the steps and turned, "I'm going out, see you later Aunt Marie!" And with that she ran to the car and hopped in the passenger's seat.  
  
"Hi!" Riley was her usual, normal, energetic self.  
  
"..Hi.."  
  
There was silence as the car ride started. Riley broke it, she didn't like the silence. She turned on the radio and it just happened to be tuned to Radio Free Roscoe.  
  
Shady Lane - "This is Shady Lane and we here at Radio Free Roscoe are sorry that we weren't on earlier, but Pronto, Question Mark, and I had to figure out how to work the controls here today."  
  
Pronto - Can anyone guess why that is? ...No? Well, Smog decided he couldn't join us today.  
  
Question Mark - I'm Question Mark and I'm wondering......What is Smog doing or where did he go that was more important than RFR?  
  
Travis glared at the radio.  
  
Pronto - I think I know where he is...  
  
Shady Lane - And where's that, Pronto?  
  
Pronoto - Oh, no where in particular but...I have an odd feeling that he might be with my cousin...  
  
Question Mark - Well...that's interesting..  
  
Shady Lane (rolls her eyes) - Well, while we debate where Smog is, you guys can listen to some tunes. Here's "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good" by Nickelback.  
  
~Song plays~  
  
"Robbie, what are you doing?" Lily asked.  
  
"What? I'm not doing anything."  
  
"That's not what you told us you were going to be doing today."  
  
Robbie shrugged, "I don't know. It just seemed....right."  
  
Lily rolled her eyes.  
  
~*~  
  
12/15/06 - 6:19pm  
  
Riley had turned the radio off, seeing it was kind of bothering Travis. "So...Iii was thinking...I don't wanna go to Mickey's...."  
  
"Where do you wanna go?"  
  
"I don't know...I was thinking...maybe that new restaurant that opened up...I think it's called The...something..I don't know. I really don't care, I'd just rather go somewhere besides Mickey's..."  
  
"Well, I gotta know where to go..."  
  
Riley's eyes lit up. "I do! Take a right...here. Ok, now here a bit there's gonna be a fork in the road, go left."  
  
Travis did as he was told and directed the rest of the way. In the end, he turned into a parking lot that was basically empty. Riley seemed more energetic than before.  
  
"This is a really great place. It's....kind of fancy but they...don't try to do it over too much."  
  
Travis glanced up and read the neon blue sign. It read: Stormy Nights He'd lived here most of his life and never knew about this place, how did Riley know about it? Oh well. The two teenagers got out of the car and into the restraunt. "Hey Tony." Riley said when they came in.  
  
"Hey girl! I've missed you!" It was pretty obvious this guy was gay. "Whose you're friend?"  
  
"Travis. And he's more than a friend tonight..." She glanced over her shoulder at Travis, "He's my date."  
  
"Cool, cool. I need to find someone...oh well." He blinked, "Anyway, the usual table?"  
  
Riley nodded, "Yeah...I like that table..." She and Travis followed Tony to the table in the back corner.  
  
"So, like, do you guys need menus or whatever?"  
  
Riley tilted her head towards Travis, "He'll need one, never been here before. Bring me one too...haven't been here in awhile."  
  
Tony left and Riley looked at Travis, "So...what'd ya think so far?"  
  
"It's...different..."  
  
Riley rolled her eyes. "Typical Travis response."  
  
~*~  
  
12/15/06 - 6:54pm  
  
When the two had ordered and the food arrived everything went fairly smooth. Or so Travis had wished. It actually went horribly wrong. The drinks had, of course, come first and a bit after they had arrived, Travis accidently knocked Riley's drink into her lap.  
  
Riley's first reaction was, "Ahh Cold! Cold!" Then it was changed to, "Stain! Stain! New pants! Ahh! TONY WE NEED NAPKINS!"  
  
After that it was disaster after disaster. When dinner was over and paid for, the two got in the car and sat there for a moment.  
  
"Sorry about the...the.." Travis started, staring straight ahead.  
  
"It's ok..."  
  
"So...do you still wanna go for the movie?"  
  
"Yeah....why wouldn't I?"  
  
~*~  
  
12/15/06 - 7:16pm  
  
At the theater, they found out that the movie they had planned on seeing, was sold out. So were most of the other movies there. They ended up watching something else....  
  
"So...what were watching...what's it about again?" Riley whispered as they found a seat.  
  
"It's...a documentary about....ancient China." Travis was a bit hesitant since he knew that Riley wouldn't like it, in the least.  
  
"Right..." She said as she sat down..  
  
A little over half way through the documentary-movie, Riley was asleep. Her head slowly found its was to Travis' shoulder. Travis had kept stealing glances at her during the movie. He decided that he'd just wake her up so they could leave. "Riley..."  
  
"Mmm..."  
  
"Come on, let's just...get out of here...."  
  
"Mmkay.."  
  
~*~  
  
12/15/06 - 9:22pm  
  
They were in the car again. This time they were in the theater parking lot, but...that was really the only difference.  
  
"So..." Riley said, turning in her seat to face her date, "What now?"  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
The two thought about it for a few minutes and Riley spoke, "Wanna...go for a walk or something?"  
  
"Sure.."  
  
So, they went to the park. The two walked around the huge reserve for awhile. About half way around it, however, the clouds opened up and the angels decided to cry. Yep. That's right. The angels were crying, this date was so bad. In other words....yeeep...it was raining and they were about a fourth of mile or so from the car. They both turned and broke into a run for the car. By the time they got to the car, they were both soaking wet.  
  
"That went well..." Riley said sarcastically, teeth chattering.  
  
Travis started the car and Riley quickly turned the thermostat from AC to the heater. "So...do you want me to just...take you home?"  
  
"Yeah...I guess..." Then something popped in her head. "Take me home to the Pardise City, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. Take me home...." She sang the only part of "Paradise City" she knew.  
  
"G 'N' R..." Travis said  
  
"You like Everlast? Boston? Nirvana? Metalica? Third Eye Blind? Matchbox 20? Eagles? Beatles? Any other bands with the names of animals?" She rattled off band names.  
  
"Yes to all of the above."  
  
"Do you have any CD's in here?"  
  
"Yeah, under your seat."  
  
Riley got the case of CD's out and flipped through them. She looked up at him, "We're like...music soul mates!"  
  
~*~  
  
12/15/06 - 9:48pm  
  
Travis pulled into the driveway of the Brennon house and cut the ignition. There was no sound other than the rain hitting the car. It was so dark out right now that you couldn't even see the rain, simply hear it. Riley wasn't sure what to do. She didn't exactly want to get out of the warm car just to get hit by the freezing rain, but she wasn't sure what she would say to be able to stay in the car. Riley licked her lips, "So...uh...what now..."  
  
"I don't know, I guess..." He looked up at her and noticed that she was closer than she had been ten seconds ago.  
  
Riley had no clue what she was doing. She had a vague idea of it, but nothing was concrete. Before either of the two knew anything else, they were just inches away from each other then....someone was tapping on the driver-side window. The two squinted through the heavy rain and saw who it was.  
  
Go aaaa-waaay Raaaay! Riley thought. Damn him. Damn Ray. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why? Why Lord? Why couldn't you just let me kiss him? Just this once? I really wanted to know what it was like....  
  
Similar thoughts were going through Travis' mind as he cracked the window a little. "What is it?"  
  
There was no answer.  
  
"Ray, we can see you!" Riley yelled, completely annoyed. She didn't really want an audience when she shared her first kiss with Travis.  
  
Still no answer. Had they both been imagining things, or was he just trying to fool them? They looked at each other and knew they were thinking the same thing. Riley shrugged and nodded towards the house, meaning "Walk me to the door?". Travis nodded and got out. Riley slowly turned around and opened the door, right when she dead Ray jumped out of nowhere. Now, normally Riley wasn't too easy to scare but she was a little spaced out and she hadn't been expecting anything at all. Riley screamed at an almost ear piercing level.  
  
"Ow...ow...ow...Riley...that was my ear you just screamed in." Ray said.  
  
Riley got out of the car, shut the door and started slapping her cousin. "Don't do that!"  
  
Ray laughed but ran inside, for fear that his cousin might decided to stop slapping and turn to kicking instead. Riley stood there, arms over her chest. "Ooohh...I'm gonna kill him!"  
  
Travis shook his head, he had to admit, Ray was probably in for some serious bruises for that one. He walked Riley to the door and they both just sort of....stood there, in the pouring rain, seeing as how neither of them had bothered to go up the steps onto the dryness of the porch. Riley stood up on her toes and Travis leaned down. They were just inches apart, yet again. Riley was half expecting Robbie or someone to jump out of the bushes behind Travis to ruin their near-kiss again. But nothing happened to ruin it. They kissed. Riley ran her hands up his face and into his hair, which she was currently playing with but suddenly, she backed away, her hands on his shoulders. She was completely speechless.  
  
Travis looked a little uneasy. He wasn't sure why she'd broken the kiss like that. "Why did you--"  
  
Riley's eyes were wide and she licked her lips before saying, "That was..." She went down to a whisper, "Amazing...." She said, rain sliding down her face, looking like tears. She looked at him and noticed the thin-ish black t-shirt he had on was now a bit see-through. She suddenly wondered if her black tank top was. She looked down and saw it wasn't...yet. She was on the first step to the porch. "Well...I should..uh..." She was on the second step, "I should...pr-probably um..get..get in the uh..." She was on the top step and with her left hand, pointing over her right shoulder at the door behind her. "The...uh...thing...here..the um...uh...thing that I...that I live in..." She was on the porch now. "You know...this...structure...thing...here...."  
  
"The house?" Travis suggested.  
  
Riley nodded furiously. "Yeah! I-I should pr-probably g-get in the...in the...house now...."  
  
"Alright. I'll see you later, then?" Travis smiled.  
  
She nodded. She couldn't take her eyes off him. He has a really great smile...and his body is to die for...oh god...I-we..we have to do this again... She said just that, "We should do this again sometime!" She called.  
  
Travis was standing next to the car now. He nodded, "Alright...Next time, then?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah...next time.." She was standing on the first step again as she watched Travis drive away, in the rain, getting soaked to the bone. She watched him until she couldn't due to the fact that he was out of sight. The next thing she knew, the door behind her was opening and she heard someone making kissy-kissy noises. Riley's attitude immediately changed. "Damn you, Ray!" Riley yelled as she turned on her heel, running up the steps and into the house. "You were watching, weren't you?"  
  
Ray laughed as he ran upstairs. "Oh, Travis..." He tried to imitate a girl's voice. This only made Riley run faster up the stars. Ray was almost halfway down the hallway to his room when she entered it.  
  
"You are soooooo dead Raymond Jamison Brennon!" Riley yelled after him.  
  
And so ends the first date from hell.....and possibly life as Ray knows it.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Soooo...did you like? Did you like? Hopefully you did and you'll leave a lil present for me....no...not that...yes...a review! ^_^  
  
Chapter 6 Preview:  
  
Title - ?? No clue!  
  
Basics: Don't know what I'm puting in it lol! Sorry guys!  
  
Well....I don't have any clue what to do in the next chapter, if you guys have an idea, give it to me when you review, I'll take suggestions! ^_^ 


	7. What Have You Been Up To, Robbie?

Ch 7: What Have You Been Up To, Robbie? - 12/16/06 - 9:52am  
  
A/N - And the TWIST! LOL! Much thanks goes to mistressoftheuniverse for this chapter, she mentioned a little something to me for a story-series I plan on doing and...*BAM*! I got almost instant inspiration for ICH (It Could Happen) Anyway, here:  
  
"Come on, baby...just...quit RFR..." She traced the lines in his hand with a finger.  
  
"But...They're my friends...."  
  
She cut him off, "I'm not asking you to kill anyone, just quit RFR. You don't have to join Cougar Radio or quit hanging with them...just...quit the stupid show. It's just something that you guys started when you were in the ninth grade, it's not world-changing, hun."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
12/19/06 - Monday - 5:43am  
  
Robert Alexander McGrath was seventeen and he was still doing the radio show he and his friends had been doing since they were in ninth grade. Right now, Robbie was laying on his bed, eyes closed, but he was perfectly awake, aside from the fact that that it was five-something in the morning. He was wondering if he should tell Ray, Travis, and Lily what he's been up to over the past few months. I don't know....I don't know if that's a good idea...Maybe I should wait...but...I've been waiting.....Maybe I should tell one of them...Travis....he'd be the one....he'd have to be.... Robbie sat up on the edge of the bed, he pressed his palms to his eyes. "I've got to tell someone....I'm gonna go nuts if I don't..."  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - Tuesday - 11:58am  
  
Robbie was pacing the room, still deciding weather he should tell one of his three friends. Of course, he could probably tell Riley since they didn't know each other too well...but...He shook his head. No. He wasn't going to take that chance. She might tell Ray...or Lily. Robbie sighed. This wasn't good, it wasn't good at all. He was seriously going to go insane if he didn't tell someone about this right now. He walked over and picked up his phone. He dialed a number and let the phone ring. It rang four times before there was an answer.  
  
"Hello?" A woman's voice came over the phone.  
  
"Ah..yes, Mrs. Strong, is Travis home?"  
  
"Oh, hi Robbie. Yes, hold on, I'll get him." Robbie heard her yell for her son off the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Travis...meet me Mickey's....I've got to tell you something."  
  
"Robbie?"  
  
"Yeah...uh...just...just meet me at Mickey's."  
  
"When?"  
  
"Now would be prefered." "Alright, in a few."  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 12:08pm  
  
Robbie was at Mickey's Discs within ten minutes. He knew Travis would be a little bit, simply because he lived farther away. Robbie sat down at the booth in the back where Lily and Travis had talked several months ago. It was the most secluded part of the whole place. He was tapping his foot to try and keep himself busy, he had to do something. Robbie seriously hoped that she didn't come in any time soon, it would make things even worse than they already were.  
  
Within five minutes, Travis entered and looked around for Robbie. He saw him in the booth in the back and walked over. Travis sat down. "What's going on?"  
  
Though he had set to tell Travis, Robbie was still a little uncertain about telling anyone. It was strange. He hesitated for a few moments before saying. "I've got to tell you.....why I was talking about quitting RFR before..."  
  
"That did seem a little odd but, normal...I guess..."  
  
"Travis just...let me talk...if I don't do this now, I don't know that I'll ever bring it up again."  
  
"Alright..."  
  
"Ok...I know I've been acting....strange...lately but...there's a reason.....a bizarre reason but...a reason nonetheless." He paused. "I...The reason I've been acting so strange is...well...I'm...I"m dating Kim Carlsile..."  
  
At first, Travis didn't respond, he thought that either he had misheard or this was a really weird dream. Robbie...dating...Kim Carlsile? It just didn't seem logical...."What?"  
  
"I-I'm dating Kim..."  
  
"Am I thinking of the same Kim Carlsile you're speaking of?"  
  
"I'm pretty sure we are...."  
  
"Are you talking about...Cougar Radio Kim Carlsile, by chance?"  
  
Robbie nodded slowly.  
  
"Are you insane? It doesn't even add up! I don't see how this....happened." Then something suddenly decided to slap Travis in the face. "Wait....is she the reason you've been thinking about quitting RFR?"  
  
Robbie looked at the table, never saying a word.  
  
"You're telling me that you let the demanding bitch known as Kim Carlsile take you from us and turn you to Cougar Radio?" It was very on rare occasions, and odd as well, to hear Travis use language such as he had just now, even if it was only one word and it was the truth.  
  
"No...Cougar Radio is still stupid as ever, but....she's my girlfriend and I...I support her choices..."  
  
Travis shook his head. None of this made any sense. Not any bit of it added up. He just didn't understand how this could happen. Robbie McGrath was dating Kim Carlsile. "Are you going to tell the others?" "Yeah...but...not yet...I don't think..."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because..." Robbie closed his eyes. "Can you imagine what Ray's reaction is going to be when I tell him and Lily?" Robbie's left hand was bracing his eyes. "I can't believe I'm actually going to tell those two about this..."  
  
"If you don't, I will."  
  
Robbie smirked. He knew Travis well enough to know that this translated to "If you don't, I'll tell Riley and she'll tell Lily and Ray." Robbie sighed. "I may as well tell them now, right?"  
  
Travis nodded. "I think that would be the best idea, rather than me knowing it and them...well...not."  
  
Robbie took out his cell phone and called each of the three and told them to come to Mickey's Discs. He didn't want to make a scene but he knew that as soon as Ray heard and understood that Robbie wasn't joking, a scene is an exageration of what there would be.  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 12:29pm  
  
When Robbie had told his other three friends, th eir reactions were...expected but different. Lily was shocked beyond belief and absolutely speechless, Riley acted as if she had known all along, and Ray....well....he stood and told Robbie his opinion.  
  
"Carlsile? Robbie, you've got to be kidding me!" When Ray realized that Robbie wasn't joking, he went off again. "You're insane! You're...You're fraternizing with the enemy!"  
  
Lily and Riley were sitting in the booth next to each other. Lily leaned over towards Riley and whispered, "I didn't even think he knew what the word 'fraternizing' meant..."  
  
"You didn't know? He's my cousin, I've known him my whole life and I didn't know he knew what it meant." Riley whispered back before both girls turned back to watch Ray's antics.  
  
"Fraternizing with the enemy?" Robbie asked, "No, I'm not.....I'm dating her."  
  
"She's turned you into a mindless Cougar Radio listening robot!"  
  
"What?" Robbie, Riley, Lily, and Travis all said, looking at Ray. Then Robbie continued, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"You...she's corrupted you! And if she hasn't already, she will!"  
  
"Ray....Kim has not corrupted me."  
  
"Yes she has! She beating all of the RFR beliefs out of your head and replacing them with..." He shuddered, "Cougar Radio crap!"  
  
"No....as you see, I'm still in RFR and I haven't exactly--" He stopped. What great timing my girlfriend has... Robbie thought sarcastically.  
  
Kim looked around to see if there was anyone worth talking to when she spotted Robbie. She smiled and waved as she walked over. Of course those four losers would be here too... She thought. She slid into the booth next to Robbie, "Hey baby..."  
  
Kim...you are not making this situation any easier.... Before Robbie could say anything at all, Ray looked Kim dead in the eyes and in a low tone said, "You demanding, controlling, deceiving, corruptive, seductive, friend stealing, bitch." After that was said he turned and walked out.  
  
Riley clapped her hand to her forehead and she and Lily slid out of their side of the booth and ran after him.  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 12:34pm  
  
Riley was out the door, Lily right behind her. They ran to catch up to Ray. "RAY!" Lily called after him. Ray stopped and turned, "What?" His stopping let the girls catch up to him.  
  
"Ray...I know..that you don't...like Kim but...you really didn't have to...say that..." Lily managed between breaths.  
  
Ray shook his head, "Yeah I did..." And with that her turned back around and started walking home.  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 12: 35pm  
  
Kim's eyes were wide and her mouth open. "Did he just....insult me?"  
  
Travis rolled his eyes, "Don't act so surprised. People can insult you, most just don't because they're afraid of you or you're connections with Waller." With that, Travis got up and left.  
  
Robbie leaned back, eyes closed, and sighed.  
  
Kim turned sideways, "I don't understand...was it something I did or...said?"  
  
"You just...had bad timing today..."  
  
"Why do you say that??"  
  
"They all four just found out about...us...Ray was just..." Robbie shook his head. "He was...shocked....to say the least."  
  
"Shocked? It seems to me the correct word we be more along the lines of outraged..."  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 12:49om  
  
Kim stayed for a little bit after Robbie had left. She sat in the booth alone. She sighed. I don't understand why people don't like me...I mean, sure I'm popular but no one in that crowd actually likes me....Robbie is the only one who likes me for...me... She sighed again and got up, finally deciding to leave.  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 1:18pm Robbie had left Mickey's Discs but he didn't go straight home. In fact, he still wasn't at home, he was walking around the park. He knew that Ray was entitled to an opinion but, what he had said to Kim was really acidic. That was a long list of insults...he must have been saving those over the years..... Robbie sighed and sat down on the bench. Why did life have to be so...strange and....difficult?  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 1:24pm  
  
Lily and Riley had gone to the Brennon house and had tried to talk Ray into at least apologizing to Kim. Riley and Lily tried to tell him that they neither one liked Kim any more than he did but what he had said was a pretty harsh. Later, after the attempt failed, the girls had retreated to Riley's room, Riley told Lily that she thought she had actually seen pain cross Kim's face. Lily and agreed and said she'd talk to Ray again later, when he was a little more reasonable and clam. Riley had made a comment close to, "Yeah, I'm sure he'd do juuuust about anything for you." She winked at Lily and the blonde girl shoved her towards the pillows on the bed.  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 1:27pm  
  
Travis had been honestly shocked to hear Robbie's news but when Ray had rattled off those insults, he was shocked beyond describing. No, he didn't like Kim but...he'd never really out-and-out told her anything like what Ray had lay out on her today. Travis shook his head. He could have sworn when Ray had said everything he did, he'd seen a mix of shock and sorrow on her face. Travis had to admit, as much as he disliked Kim Carlsile, he kind of felt sorry for her at the moment.  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 1:34pm  
  
Ray couldn't believe what Robbie had been doing. Dating Kim Carlsile...why would the thought even cross his mind? Riley and Lily had spent almost an hour and a half to try and convince him to apologize to her for what he'd said. He couldn't even understand why they would want him to do such a thing. Sure, what he had said was a little harsh but, sometimes the truth hurts, right? It's just the way it is sometimes.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/n - WELL! Wasn't that interesting? Again, I've got to say, much thanks to mistressoftheuniverse for this chapter. Luv ya girl! lol! anyhow, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do in the next chapter, so...no preview yet. If I get the basis before I get the chapter written, I'll give it to ya. Review....please? *bats eyelashes* *grin* Later days!  
  
~ PFB 


	8. Robbie's Worry and a Broken Vase

A/N - Sorry, guys! This took longer to come out than I thought it was going to!!  
  
Ch 8: Robbie's Worry and a Broken Ten Thousand Dollar Vase - 12/20/06 - Tuesday - 7:43pm  
  
Robbie picked up the phone and dialed Kim's phone. As usual, it was busy. Almost any time he called, the phone was busy. He sighed and dialed her cell. "Come on, Kim...please..."  
  
Kim was on her phone in her room when her cell phone rang. She frowned, who would be calling her cell at almost eight o'clock? "Hey Holly, can you hang on a sec? Someone's calling my cell." She laid the phone down and picked up the cell phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Kim.."  
  
"Robbie." Kim smiled. "Can you hang on a sec?" She picked up the cordless and said, "Hey can I call you later?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Robbie's calling me, I don't wanna use my minutes."  
  
"Ok, later Kim..."  
  
"Bye, hun." She switched back to her cell, "Hey, I'm gonna call you back on my line, don't wanna use all my minutes up."  
  
"Ok.."  
  
Kim hung up the cell, picked up the cordless, and hit 'Memory' and '2', the phone automatically dialed Robbie's number.  
  
"Kim?"  
  
"Yeah. What was it that you wanted to talk about, baby?"  
  
"Kim...I don't know what I'm going to do..."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, I mean...I can see Riley and Travis getting over it, Lily...she'll get used to it but it'll be while...but Ray...he'll never accept it. I don't know if he'll even talk to me. I might be losing one of my best friends..."  
  
"Well....It's kind of life....You win some, you loose some and...sometimes that means you loose friends."  
  
"Kim! Ray's been my best friend since I was five."  
  
"Look, hun, I'm sorry but I don't know what you expect me to do about it...unless...." She sounded like she was about to cry, "You wanna....b-b- break up with...."  
  
"No." He said immediately, "No,Kim...I..." Robbie's left hand slid over to cover his eyes, which he closed as he did this. "I don't want to break up with you. I just.....I don't know what what I'm going to do. I don't want to break up with you......but I don't want to ruin my frienship with Ray..."  
  
Robbie heard Kim's mom yelling at her, but he couldn't understand what she was saying. "I...I gotta go..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"My mom needs the phone."  
  
"Alright, later baby."  
  
"Bye, hun."  
  
And all Robbie heard was the phone go dead. He sighed, dropped the phone to the floor and fell back. He quickly sat back up and picked the phone up. He dialed 598-7642. He needed to talk to someone.  
  
~*~  
  
12/20/06 - 7:48pm  
  
Riley was just opening the door to her room, a great idea for her story in mind, ready to write it all down.....and she heard her phone ring. She sighed and rolled her eyes. She picked the phone up, "Lily, I don't care about every single detail of your last date with Ray. I'm not in the mood."  
  
"Eh...Riley?"  
  
"Oh....Robbie? Sorry, I'm used to Lily calling me..." Then she added, "Or Travis." she sounded like she was smiling.  
  
"Yeah....I need to talk to you...."  
  
"Ok...what about?"  
  
"Why is life so messed up?"  
  
"I don't know...but...I do know that life..."  
  
"Sucks and then you die." The two unified.  
  
Riley blinked. No one she knew used that phrase. "You know it too?"  
  
"Like anyone knows that Ray likes Lily..."  
  
Riley grinned, "You've been sneaking off too much. We're all paired up now. Ray and Lily are finally a couple as are Travis and I."  
  
"Right..."  
  
"So, anyway, I'm pretty sure you didn't call for me to ramble about the couples that have formed lately...."  
  
"Well...you're right...."  
  
"What did you want to talk about?"  
  
"Riley...what am I going to do?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I assume you and Travis will be the first to get over mine and Kim's relationship, Lily will eventually get there but...Ray....I don't want to ruin my friendship with him but I don't want to break up with Kim just to save it..."  
  
"Well, unless us three, that is Traivs, Lily and I, can't convince him to apologize to Kim and accept you're relationship with her, you'll have to choose. You might want to start weighing you're decisions here in about a month or so..."  
  
Riley heard him sigh. "This is seriously starting to be a little annoying..."  
  
"Well....I don't know about annoying, yet. It will be when I end up being the one to try and convince him of everything."  
  
"I don't think they'll shove it all off on you..."  
  
"No, but I live with him, I'll have to do more of it than the other two."  
  
"I get what you mean..."  
  
Riley knew that she and Ray were the only one's home at the moment and she heard something break downstairs. "What the hell was that?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't know...hold on.." Riley took the phone with her and slowly made her way down the stairs. She saw Ray picking up pieces of broken glass. "What happened, Ray?"  
  
Ray glanced up at his cousin, "I lost one of my best friends to that bitch."  
  
"Ray...you didn't loose one of you're best friends.to her. Yes, Robbie is dating Kim but she didn't steal him or whatever...he's still here...he didn't go anywhere...but...what's with the glass?" She asked, motoining to the glass on the floor.  
  
"I accidently knocked over a vase..."  
  
Riley looked around and saw only three of her aunt's vases. Her eyes widened, "Ray! Aunt Marie is going to kill you."  
  
"My mom isn't going to kill me."  
  
"But...wasn't that the one that she got from like....India...the one of a kind vase from India...the one that was never to be made again?"  
  
Ray sighed, "Well....maybe she won't notice..."  
  
"Right, Aunt Marie won't notice that her one of a kind, ten thousand dollar Indian vase is suddenly missing. She'll think that we didn't lock to doors and someone stole it."  
  
"Eh..."  
  
Riley sighed and rolled her eyes, "Whatever, that's you're deal." She turned on the stair, and started back up, bringing the phone back to her ear, "Sorry about that."  
  
"So...what happened?"  
  
Riley rolled her eyes, "Ray just tripped and broke Aunt Marie's one of a kind, never to be made again, ten thousand dollar, Indian vase. Just normal things going on."  
  
"Yeah...I heard Ray say something else..."  
  
"Oh...that...how much did you hear?"  
  
"Well, I guess everything..."  
  
"I lost one of my best friends to that bitch, ring any bells?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Yeah...about that...you know he doesn't mean any of the shit he's saying...right? Cause...I mean, I think that after a few weeks or so, Ray'll get over it, ignore Kim and talk to you. I guess we'll just see how he plays he cards though, eh?"  
  
"Yeah...I guess so..."  
  
Riley saw her Aunt and Uncle pull into the driveway. "I gotta go save my cousin's ass...later, alright?"  
  
Robbie laughed, "Alright...thanks for listening."  
  
"Sure, anytime. Just call me. You talk, I listen, I keep my mouth shut."  
  
"Alright...I'll let you go.."  
  
"Later." She hung up, tossed the phone on her bed and went downstairs to save her cousin a brutal lash out to take on singally from her aunt.  
  
"Raymond Jamison! Where is my original, one of a kind, Indian vase?" Ray already had all the glass thrown away.  
  
"Mom, I--"  
  
"Aunt Marie, it wasn't just Ray....it's both our faults. We were...foolin' around and...we dunno who but...one of us hit the table, it shook, and the vase broke."  
  
Marie looked at her son, an eyebrow raised, "Is this true, Ray?"  
  
Ray nodded, "Eh...Yeah..."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, really mom, that's what happened."  
  
"I can't believe you two broke a ten thousand dollar vase..."  
  
"We're really sorry, it was an accident." The two seventeen year olds chorused, making it a little more believable that they were both at fault.  
  
"I'm going to go to my room to recover..." Marie said, slowly making her way upstairs. James followed, shaking his head at the pair of teenagers' clumsiness.  
  
Once the adults were out of ear-shot, Ray let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks Ri..."  
  
"You owe me you know..."  
  
"Right...what do you wish for me to do my queen?" He asked jokingly.  
  
Riley suddenly had an idea. She smirked, "I want you to..." She took two steps. "Apologize to Kim, and..." She took another three. "Accept that she's dating Robbie." She took one more step, now on the floor. "And..." She took the few steps that were needed to close the gap between the two. "I want you to talk to Robbie just like you would have before you found out about Kim."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"I want you to apologize, accept, and talk. That's all...."  
  
"I'm not doing a million things, Riley!"  
  
"It's only three...and it's worth it...unless you want me to tell Aunt Marie the truth about the ten thousand dollar vase. Come on, three little things for five thousand dollars worth of damage? That's not much..."  
  
"Five thousand dollars?"  
  
"Yeah, if she wanted to, she could make us split the costs and pay for the vase over the rest of our lives....or hers, whichever came first. I assume if she chose that, is would be our lives that came first, she'd be alive until she got the money for the vase back."  
  
"Yeah...you're probably right..."  
  
"So, are you gonna do it or am I gonna have to go tell Aunt Marie the truth?"  
  
Ray weighed his options in his mind and sighed. "Fine..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'll do it..."  
  
Riley grinned. She was really good a persuading people of things. "Ok. You've got to do it by Friday."  
  
"Friday?" Ray sighed, "Alright..."  
  
~*~  
  
12/23/06 - Friday - 3:57pm  
  
Ray had decided he would just wait until Friday to apologize to Kim, hold off as long as he could. He had Riley call Robbie and get her number, then he called her and told her to meet him at Mickey's Disks.  
  
Kim Carlisle was confused. Ray Brennon had just called her two minutes ago telling her to meet him at Mickey's Disks. She said she would but she was completely confused as to why she was going.  
  
~*~  
  
12/23/06 - 4:09pm  
  
Ray and Kim arrived outside Mickey's at the same time.  
  
"Ok, what did you want, Brennon?"  
  
Ray sighed, "Look...Kim...what I said the other day..."  
  
"About me being a demanding, controlling, deceiving, corruptive, seductive, friend stealing, bitch?"  
  
"Eh...yeah..." Now that he actually thought about it, Ray realized that he had been pretty harsh. "I'm...I'm sorry about that..."  
  
"Really?"  
  
Ray shifted, "Yeah..."  
  
Kim smiled, "That's really sweet of you, Brennon." She ptted him on the cheek. "That all?"  
  
Ray nodded.  
  
"You couldn't do this on the phone?"  
  
"I dunno..."  
  
She shrugged, "Oh well, uh...see ya later?"  
  
"Yeah.."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N - I know! This chapter was pretty short compared to some of the others but.*shrug* it had to end there. I hope the next chapter is longer!  
  
Later days!  
  
~PFB 


	9. The Argument

A/N - A little friction in the thought to be possible match made in heavan...ok...so they aren't really that great a match, there complete opposites...but ah, hell! You know what I mean! Just read! lol Enjoy!  
  
Ch 9: The Argument - 2/10/07 - Saturday - 1:33pm  
  
Travis had come over to the Brennon home to spend some extra time with his girlfriend. Currently, they were in her room. He was sitting in a 'meditation' possition and she had her head in his lap. It was raining for the fifth day in a row that week, which meant Riley had only just come out of one of her odd little trance of starind out the window at the rain as it fell. Travis was playing with her hair when she looked up at him and said, "Travis?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Why don't you talk more?"  
  
"What do you mean? I talk..."  
  
"I mean, yeah, we talk but not about you, ya know?" She sat up and turned to face him. "You're...home life and stuff. I've never even been to you're youse. I met you're parents at Walmart for Loki's sake."  
  
"Well...there's not much to say about my home life..." Travis shrugged.  
  
"Couldn't you be more open though?" Riley asked simply.  
  
Travis didn't take the simple question so simply, he was on the defensive. "We've been dating for eight months and suddenly I'm not open enough? What do you want me to be more open about?"  
  
"I don't know! You're.parents, you're family.just.I don't know! In general!"  
  
"It's not like you've ever told me anything about you're parents."  
  
Riley stopped and looked at him, pain written all over her face and showing in her eyes. "That's because you don't need to know about my parents. You're not ever going to meet them. I won't let you." Riley spoke in a low tone.  
  
Seeing the pain in her eyes made Travis have a pang of guilt. "Why not?"  
  
"Because." Riley's tone was very serious, which was a very rare occasion for her. "People like them don't deserve the pleasure of knowing someone like you."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
A single tear rolled down her cheek. She sat down on the edge of the bed, leaned forward, arms on her knees, left hand covering her eyes. Travis knelt down in front of her and placed a hand on her right knee. "Riley." She lifted her head only enough so that Travis could see more tears coming. "Riley.what's wrong?"  
  
She shook her head, "I don't.I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"Riley." Travis started.  
  
"No." She turned from him, "Leave me alone." She drew her legs up and hugged them to her chest.  
  
Travis looked worried. Riley hadn't ever been standoffish to him. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright.I'll.talk to you later, ok?" When she nodded Travis sighed again, stood, walked to the door. Before he left he glanced over his shoulder at her again. He down the hall and knocked on the door two rooms down from Riley's.  
  
"Yeah?" Ray's voice came from the other side of the door.  
  
Travis opened the door, entered, and closed the door. Ray glanced over his shoulder from the computer. "Hey man, what's up?"  
  
"What do you know about Riley's parents?"  
  
Ray spun around in the computer chair to face his friend, "Why?"  
  
"Why?" Travis sat down on Ray's bed. "Ok, she started going on about me not being open enough about things. You know, home life, parents, family, and stuff like that. Iii.I made a comment about the fact that I don't know anything about her parents." He paused. "She.she had this.look on her face." He shook his head, "Then she said I don't need to know about her parents because I was never going to meet them." He closed his eyes and slowly opened them again. "And after that she broke down crying, saying she didn't want to talk about it."  
  
"Wow." Was all Ray could manage to say at the moment.  
  
"Yeah." Travis said with a sigh. "Do you.know anything about her parents?"  
  
"I don't know if I should tell you.she didn't sound like she really wanted you to know."  
  
"Come on, Ray. She's my girlfriend; I need to at least know what her parents are like. It's not like I can meet them any old time I choose."  
  
Ray shifted in his seat, "Iii don't know, man. I mean, she only told me last year, she's been lyin' to me for 15 years."  
  
"Ray, come on, please?"  
  
Ray sighed and leaned forward, leaning on his legs. "Alright, look." I can't believe I'm doing this.." "Her dad is-"  
  
The door opened suddenly, causing Ray to stop and both boys to look. Riley was standing in the doorway, tears were still running down her tear-stained cheeks. "You were going to tell him?"  
  
"Riley, he has a right to-"  
  
"No he doesn't! When I told you about it last year, I thought I could trust you!"  
  
"Riley, you can-"  
  
"Who else have you told?" She took in a quick breath.  
  
"I haven't told anyone, Riley."  
  
"Not even Aunt Marie and Uncle James?"  
  
"You're dad is my dad's brother...they probably both already knew."  
  
"So you told them, didn't you?"  
  
"Look, Riley, it was needed for you're-"  
  
"Needed for what, Ray? My safety? Are you part of the reason my parents sent me here? You told Aunt Marie and Uncle James, confirming their suspicions, so they talked my parents into shoving me off here for awhile.until they thought they were..sober and normal enough to take me back?"  
  
"Maybe I was, I don't know.I think you're parents made that decision on their own.I don't know. But it was for the better, Riley. You didn't need to be around them any more."  
  
"Why not? They're my parents you know!"  
  
"Yeah, I know.But Aunt Sarah and Uncle Kevin aren't exactly what you would call perfect parents."  
  
"Maybe they weren't going to get the Parent of the Year Award, so what? They're fine."  
  
Ray shook his head, mouth open, "No, Riley, they aren't. You know it as well as I do, when someone's mom does drugs all the time and their father is drunk all the time, that's not a good place to be."  
  
Riley looked at Travis and saw almost complete horror on his face. Was it because of where she came from? Was he going to break up with her?  
  
Travis couldn't believe that Riley Diane, of all people, could come from that kind of family. With the attitude and personality she had, it just didn't seem right.  
  
Riley tried to keep from crying any more. She looked down so that neither of the two boys could see her face any more. They exchanged glances before Riley came in the room She walked over to her cousin and fell into him. Before he could pull her into a hug, she back away and turned to her boyfriend. "So.gonna leave me now? Like all the other guys?" she asked as she wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks away.  
  
"What? No! I'm not going to leave you just because of you're parents. You don't even live with them."  
  
Riley was confused. All the other guys took off once they found out about her parents. "What? But.you're.you're not going to accuse me of drinking and doing drugs and.and you're not gonna leave?" She looked so confused at the moment.  
  
"No.Riley, I know that you're smart enough to not do anything like that."  
  
"How do you know? How do you know what I did or didn't do back in California?"  
  
"I don't.not really.but I just.I don't think you'd be dumb enough to submit yourself to what you're parents submitted themselves to. You would have seen the effects of both ends."  
  
"I don't understand you.but.I don't guess that matters right now." She looked at her boyfriend for a moment, studying him, "Wait.you're not doing this out of pity.are you?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're not staying with me out of pity or something, are you?"  
  
"No.Riley, I.I can't leave you over what you're parents chose to do with their lives."  
  
"Even if they end up being you're in-laws?" Riley teased.  
  
"That's our Riley!" Ray said, grinning.  
  
Riley looked at Travis very seriously and said, "No, I'm serious, even if they end up being you're in-laws?" If you knew Riley, you would know when she was serious by the look in her eyes. Right now, the look was not serious. She laughed at the look on Travis' face. "You know I was joking right, I'm not the type to plan a wedding when I'm dating a guy."  
  
"The day she plans a wedding is the day the world ends." Ray said jokingly.  
  
"And then, Waller will like everyone equaly except Kim, who he'll hate and dish out detentions to all the time, and...Oh, I dunno...you'll be famous?"  
  
"Hey!" Ray shoved her lightly. "Shut up."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N - YES! It was short! I'm sorry! I told you I wanted this one of be longer! Chapter 10 is kinda sort too but....I will TRY to make chapter 11 longer! 


	10. I Don't Want To Go Back!

A/N - Surprise! Guess what happens in this chapter? Enjoy! ^^  
  
Ch 10: I Don't Want To Go Back! - 3/10/07 - Saturday - 1:33pm  
  
Riley Diane Brennon was pacing her room. Just yesterday her parents had called with some not so wanted news. With half of her thoughts, she was shaking her head. "No...Maybe I should tell him....I don't want to up and leave without him knowing....I wonder if he'll do a long distance relationship?" She shook her head, "I doubt it....it doesn't seem like something he would do...but I don't wanna break up with him...I don't wanna leave...I don't wanna go back to California!" Riley picked her phone up and dialed her old home phone number.  
  
"Hello?" A woman's voice came over the phone.  
  
"I don't wanna come back!"  
  
"Honey, you're not eighteen yet...you don't have a choice."  
  
"But mom--"  
  
"I've had my say, you're father and I have agreed, we've had time enough and we want you to come back." With that, Sarah Brennon hung up her phone.  
  
Riley turned the phone off and collapsed to her bed. She turned the phone back on and dialed Travis' home phone.  
  
"Hello?" His mother answered.  
  
"Mrs. Strong, is Travis there?" Riley held her composure with Mrs. Strong. She didn't want her worrying over her.  
  
"No, hun, he's not here. Do you want me to have him call you?"  
  
"No, it's ok..." She said, whipping away the tears. She dialed his cell number. "Come on...Travis...please...pick up..."  
  
~*~  
  
3/10/07 - 1:35pm  
  
Travis was walking sitting in the exact center of the park, meditating when his cell phone rang. He opened an eye then picked it up. Riley Brennon 598- 7642. He turned the phone on. "Hello?"  
  
"Travis....I...I need to talk to you..."  
  
She sounded like she was crying, or had been at least, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Wh-where are you?"  
  
"I'm at the park."  
  
"I'm gonna come to the park, ok?"  
  
"O..ok.."  
  
"See you...in a little while..." And she hung up.  
  
~*~  
  
3/10/07 - 1:48pm  
  
Riley ran into the park enterence, saw Travis and ran to him. Travis had see Riley enter and was already standing. When she reached him, she fell into him, crying. Travis wasn't sure what was wrong or what was going on, but he pulled her to him and rubbed her back. "Riley..."  
  
"I-I don't w-wanna go b-back...I-I wanna st-stay here..."  
  
Travis frowned. "What?"  
  
Riley lifted her head. "M-my parents...they...they want me to...t-to g-go back to...C-Cal-Califonia..."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"I wasn't supposed to...be here as l-long as I h-have been...it was o-only sup-posed to be about a month or s-so..."  
  
Travis put his arm around her and led her to the nearest bench where the two sat down. Riley continued, "A-and...well...they...they w-want me to g- go back..." She leaned into him again.  
  
"When are you supposed to go?"  
  
"I don't know...I think Spring Break."  
  
Travis thought about something for a moment. "You'll be eighteen before then."  
  
Riley looked up at him, "Wh-what?"  
  
"Februray twelfth..."  
  
Riley frowned. "What?"  
  
"Februrary twelfth..." He repeated, "Isn't that you're birthday?"  
  
"No...It's June... " She leaned into his chest again, crying.  
  
Travis closed his eyes and hugged her to him. I can't believe this....I can't....This can't be happening...  
  
She looked up at him again, "I don't understand why...th-they changed their minds....I-I..." She swallowed, "I have...to change their minds back...I don't...I don't want to...go back to California..." She paused, looking down, then back at him. "If...If I can't get them to let me stay...would you...do a long distance re-relationship?"  
  
Travis froze. He never really thought he could do a LDR. He always thought it was pretty pointless. He swallowed. "I....I don't know..."  
  
"I-It's ok i-if you don't...think you could do it....I just want to know...." Riley was sitting up now.  
  
"I..." Travis leaned foreward, his hands sliding up his face to cover his eyes. "I don't know....Riley...I....I just...I don't think....I don't think I could do it....I could try but..." The only reason he was bent over and had his hands over his face was because he didn't want Riley to see the tears.  
  
"Travis?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"No, Travis...look at me..."  
  
Travis looked up at her, a few tears rolling down his cheeks.  
  
Riley took his hand in hers, "Oh...baby...don't cry...I'm doing enough of that for the both of us....and...and plus, I could...I could still come and visit and stuff....ya know?" Another tear slid down her cheek, "Would..would that...be ok, Travis?"  
  
"Baby I...I just don't know..."  
  
For the first time in the last few hours, Riley smiled.  
  
"What are you smiling about?"  
  
"I...It's just..." She was grinning now.  
  
"Riley..."  
  
"That's the first time...you called me baby..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well...It's just...kinda weird...coming from you. A good weird but..." She threw her hands up. "You called me baby!"  
  
Travis laughed a little. "It's not that big a deal."  
  
"Yes it is! Travis Anthony Strong calling me baby? It's huge!" She giggled.  
  
"You just giggled."  
  
"So?"  
  
"That's not exactly something I hear everytday."  
  
She smiled and turned around. She leaned into him and Travis wrapped his arms around her. "Hey....maybe you can convince them to let you stay here...what do you think?"  
  
"Yeah....if I can convince my dad...he'll got mom to it..."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
END of chapter!  
  
A/N - I know...it was short...but it was needed to be ended then lol ^^ Like I said in Chapter 9, I'll try and make 11 longer! Or, if it's not, I'll put out another 3 chaps at a time LOL!  
  
Later days!  
  
~PFB 


	11. Getting Ready To Pack My Bags

A/N - O. M. G! I sooo didn't mean for it to be this long for me to update. I've had 11 & 12 written for a bit but...I had to add finishing touches, edit, proofread with Corel (seeing as how I save on WordPad) and other stuff...plus, they are both kinda short so....I thought I'd just kind of add more than two chapters again. Anyhow...Hope ya enjoy!  
  
Ch 11 - Getting Ready To Pack My Bags - 3/20/07 - Sunday - 5:43am  
  
The last few weeks had been nothing for Riley. For the last two months she had dreaded them ever ending. These two months ending meant she was going back. Back to California and back to her parents. She had tried several times to convince her mother but it wasn't happening, and Sarah wouldn't let her daughter talk to David. Riley wasn't going to give up just yet though, she was upstairs in her room at five forty-three in the morning, calling her parents again. She prayed to God that her dad answer the phone.  
  
"Hello?" came the annoyed voice of a man.  
  
Riley's heart jumped. She grinned as she spoke, "Daddy?"  
  
"Riley?" David Brennon sounded surprised.  
  
"Yeah...daddy....I...I wanna...I wanna stay here."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I wanna stay here...with Aunt Marie and Uncle James..."  
  
"Well, honey, I respect that you want to make your own decisions and--"  
  
"If it wasn't for mama, would you let me stay?"  
  
"Well...to be honest....yeah...."  
  
"Will you try and convince mama to let me stay?"  
  
"Riley, I don't know--"  
  
"Daddy! Please! I have friends here! I have a steady boyfriend! Daddy...I don't wanna come back!"  
  
"Riley...."  
  
"Daddy, please..." Riley brought on the fake tears and crying. "I don't....I don't wanna come back...I...I wanna stay."  
  
"I don't think I can change you're mother's mind about this."  
  
"Daddy...please...try...for me?"  
  
"Alright, I'll try but...I don't know...how it will go..."  
  
"Thanks dad...I...If you do this...I'll...I'll visit you when you want...and when I can..."  
  
"Both of us?"  
  
Riley nodded, "Yeah.."  
  
"Alright....I'll try." "Call me?" "Yeah...I'll call you..."  
  
"Thanks daddy.."  
  
And with that, they both hung up. Riley lay sprawled out across her bed and let the phone drop from her grasp. It landed on the ground with a thud and she sighed. "Well....I guess I better get ready to pack my bags..."  
  
~*~*~  
  
3/20/07 - 11:36am  
  
Riley sighed as she watched the clock, waiting for her father to call her. It had just turned 11:37pm. She rolled over on to her back and looked up at the ceiling. Maybe it would pass time quicker. Or maybe it would make it pass slower. She glanced at the clock. She could have sworn her clock said 11:35. "What?" Riley sat up and looked at it again. Nope....still 11:37. "Stupid clock!" She flopped back on her bed with a sigh.  
  
Ray heard Riley yelling at her clock. He raised an eyebrow at her door, which he opened to find his cousin staring at the clock. "Yelling at inanimate objects again?"  
  
"Looking up commodious words in the dictionary again?" Riley shot back.  
  
Ray looked like he was going to respond then stopped, frowning. "What?"  
  
"Commodious words...big words...get it?"  
  
"Ah...ok...whatever."  
  
Riley shook her head, "Whatcha doin?"  
  
"I'm not doing anything....you're yelling at objects I assume?"  
  
"Yeah...waiting for the time to pass....waiting...for my dad to call."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm waiting for my dad to call me back..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I...kinda called him at five something this morning and asked him to try and convince mom to let me stay..."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"So...is that what I heard drop earlier?"  
  
"Probably...when I got off, I fell to the bed and dropped the phone."  
  
"Huh...interesting....I thought it was something in my dream..."  
  
"What were you dreaming about?"  
  
"Eh...nothing in particular..."  
  
If she wasn't mistaken, Riley could have sworn Ray was...embarrassed perhaps was the right word...about his dream. She smirked, but couldn't hold any longer. She started laughing. This caused Ray to glare at her. Riley had turned around and had her head hanging off the foot of the bed, "Whatcha doooin?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nevermind....what time is it?"  
  
Ray looked at her clock, "Eleven forty."  
  
Riley slid slowly off the bed and eventually had to go sideways. "Oi! This is going to take forever!"  
  
"When was he supposed to call you?"  
  
"Noon...ish..."  
  
Ray rolled his eyes.  
  
"What?" Riley asked, moving to sit upright.  
  
"Call someone..."  
  
"But my dad might call...."  
  
"And ask them to come over..."  
  
"Oh...ok..."  
  
Ray shook his head and left her room, leaving the door wide open.  
  
"RAY!"  
  
Ray doubled back and closed the door.  
  
"Thank you." Riley said as she picked the phone up off the floor. She called Travis. "Come on....pick up you're phone..."  
  
Travis answered with a, "Hello?", at the same time that Riley said, "Dammit...", thus ensuing a double sound of, "What?...Nevermind."  
  
"Let's start over...I called...it rings..."  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Travis!"  
  
"Riley..."  
  
"I want you to come over! I need something to pass the time!"  
  
"Why?" "Because...time is slow...and I'm waiting for my--to call." "What?"  
  
"I'm waiting for my--to call....hold that thought, I got a beep." She flashed over to see who was on the other line. "Hello?"  
  
"Riley?"  
  
"Dad...hey..."  
  
"I talked to you're mom..."  
  
"Uh-huh...."  
  
"And...she....."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"She....." David liked the image he got in his head of his daughter, waiting impatiently for the verdict.  
  
"Come on, dad! Tell me!"  
  
"She said you can stay.."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah...she'll even tell you herself."  
  
"Yes...honey...I'm going to let you stay..." Sarah Brennon's voice came over the phone.  
  
"Mama...this is the coolest thing ever! You have got to be the best parents in the world right now!"  
  
You could hear Sarah smiling, "Thanks hun...I want you to call us every weekend...and visit us when you can."  
  
"I will..."  
  
"Ok...well...I'm gonna let you go...we don't need a big long distance bill.."  
  
"Bye mama..." When Riley heard that her mother had hung up, she quickly flashed back over to Travis, "Ya still there?" She asked as she got up and walked down the hall.  
  
"Yeah..." By the time he got the word out of his mouth, Riley had opened the door to Ray's room.  
  
"Good. Meet me at Mickey's..." She pointed at Ray as she said this to her boyfriend.  
  
Ray pointed to himself and mouthed, "You want me to go?"  
  
She nodded furiously at her cousin as Travis said, "Why?"  
  
"Because...I have something really great to tell you!"  
  
"Ok...see you there in a few."  
  
"Bye!" Riley hung up and Ray immediately spoke. "What's going on?"  
  
"Just because you're my cousin doesn't mean you get to find out before everyone else." With that she turned and left his room, dialing another number. By the end, Riley had called Lily and Robbie as well.  
  
"Can..."  
  
"Yes, Robbie, you can bring Kim."  
  
"Alright, see ya.."  
  
~*~  
  
3/20/07 - 1:13am  
  
Ray and Riley were the first two there. They sat in the normal booth in the back. "Come on, Riley!"  
  
"No. You don't have any special family thing where you get to know before everyone else.  
  
Robbie and Kim came in, then Lily, and finally, Travis. They all sat down in the booth, girls on one side, boys on the other, all facing their significant other, of course.  
  
"So, what's going on?" Travis asked.  
  
"Yeah, what's the big news?" came Lily's question.  
  
Robbie spoke next, "What's up, Riley?"  
  
"Yeah, really, I mean, you don't call all of us for nothing." Kim said. Riley had even called her before Robbie could.  
  
"Come on, Riley! Out with it already." Ray was trying to push her to say whatever it was.  
  
"You don't know?" Robbie asked.  
  
"You're her cousin...How do you not know?" Kim asked.  
  
"She wouldn't tell me..." Ray and Kim still despised each other but they kept it to themselves most of the time anymore.  
  
Riley looked around the table at her friends, glanced at Mickey, then, just as all 5 of her friends leaned in for her to say it, she shouted, "I GET TO STAY!"  
  
"What?" Came the chorused response from Travis, Lily, Ray, Robbie, Kim and Mickey.  
  
Riley turned to find Mickey right behind them. "When did you get there?" She shook her head, "Nevermind! It doesn't matter! The point is that I get to stay! I don't have to move back to California!"  
  
There were tons of comments all thrown at her at once. She didn't understand any of them except one, which was only part of it and from Travis. "That's great! Do you know what this--" And he was drowned out by everyone else, who were all drowned out by one another. Riley laughed at them. "And I thought I was surprised."  
  
~*~*~*~ A/N - Ok...So maybe I got to it a bit quickly...her staying an all....but, oh well! Review and I'll give you a cookie! 


	12. Rendezvous and Robots

A/N - This chapter is a little longer than the last one....I think...ANYWAY! Read and enjoy!  
  
Ch 12: Rendezvous and Robots - 3/21/07 - Monday - 10:00pm  
  
Riley and Travis had planned to meet at the park later that night. Riley didn't know why Travis wanted to meet her so late but she agreed to come. Riley didn't come in the car because Ray and Lily had a date that night. Riley walked to the park and sat behind the biggest tree in the park and she was frozen. She sat there, a human popsicle, shivering as she waited for her boyfriend to arrive.  
  
When Travis got out of his Camero and walked through the park he figured he'd have to wait for Riley. He soon found that he was wrong. He wouldn't have to wait at all. She was sitting there, knees drawn to her chest, jacket pulled as close to her as she could get it, being a human popsicle. "What are you doing?"  
  
"W-waiting...for you...." Riley said through chattering teeth. She could see her breath now. She hadn't realized that before.  
  
Travis shook his head. He helped her stand and put his arms around her, guiding her to his car.  
  
"Wh-where are we going?"  
  
"My car...it's warmer there for some reason..."  
  
When Riley got into the car she could almost feel the invisible ice melting away. "Ahh...warmth...I love you're car...."  
  
"I'd think you would love any car right now, as long as it had a working heater."  
  
Riley nodded, "Yeah, that's true..."  
  
There were a few moments of silence. "...So....why did you want me to meet you here at ten in the freeze my ass off cold night?" Riley was rubbing her arms; she was still really cold.  
  
"Riley...don't you have a jacket?"  
  
Riley shook her head as she put her hands in front of one of the vents of the car. "Nu-uh...I didn't think it'd be that cold..."  
  
"Riley.....it's still winter and the sun is down. It didn't occur to you that it would be cold?"  
  
She shrugged, "I guess not..."  
  
"Why didn't you drive?"  
  
"I don't have a car...Ray and I fought over who got the car tonight...Usually I win...but...I have my tactics." Anyone that knew Riley would know that when the phrase 'I have my tactics' was said in the fact of fighting a guy, that she just kicked him where it would count and ran. "Anyway, I didn't drive because Ray and Lils had a date tonight...."  
  
"Lily could have driven..."  
  
"You think I would think of that when I woke up a six thirty this morning? And on top of that, you honestly think Ray is going to let Lils drive?"  
  
"No, not really..."  
  
"Now...back to everything....why are we here so late?"  
  
"I wanted to..." He stopped.  
  
"Wanted to...what?"  
  
"I...I...It's kinda stupid..."  
  
"Travis...I don't think it's possible for you to do, say, or plan anything that was even near stupid...Now. What is it?"  
  
"I just..." He shrugged, "I wanted to celebrate...alone..."  
  
"Celebrate?" Riley sat up more straight, "What are we...celebrating?"  
  
"Riley...."  
  
"Oh! Duh!" She clapped her hands to either side of her head. "I'm such a moron!"  
  
"Yeah...so...uh...do you...do you wanna go back out there?"  
  
Riley looked up at him, eyes wide, and she shook her head furiously, causing her hair to go everywhere and slap her in the face. "Ow! No...not unless you have another jacket around...."  
  
"Actually...I..I do."  
  
"Really? Cool...where is it?"  
  
"I...get out of the car first."  
  
"Uh-uh! No way! You're insane!"  
  
"Just for a minute, you'll get the jacket."  
  
Riley looked at him like he was the craziest guy on earth, which was slightly possible, but she got out of the car anyway. She stood there, jumping around, rubbing her arms and just trying to stay warm. Within moments, Travis emerged from the car with some kind of...box? Riley, who was still jumping around, raised an eye brow. "What's in the box?"  
  
"Open it."  
  
She did as she was told and immediately let out something that seemed to be a cross between a squeal and a scream. "Travis!" She looked up at him, "Is this..is this for real?"  
  
He smiled and nodded, "Yeah."  
  
She let out the squeal-scream again and, before she even took it out of the box, she went around to the other side of the car and threw her arms around him. "Ohmygod! I can't believe you! That's a thin black leather duster...like Spike's! I mean, almost exact, except for the fact that they payed an extra six thousand just so it would look worn...but...that doesn't matter! Ohmygod! I can't believe you! And...right now I can't believe me cause I'm really cold and I'm not wearing it!" She ran over to the other side of the car and took the leather duster out of the box and slipped it on. "Perfect fit! I can't believe you, Travis!" After a few moments of Riley twirling around like an idiot, she stopped, facing Travis. "Wait...why..." She tilted her head to the side, "Why did you..."  
  
"It...it was...It was supposed to be for when you left but...." He swallowed. "I tried to take it back...get my money back but...they wouldn't take it..."  
  
"Why?" Riley asked, walking over to her boyfriend and standing in front of him. Even though she had her duster, she wrapped herself in his jacket best she could seeing as how he was still wearing it, looking up and smiling at him.  
  
"Probably because...the girl that works there, Lisa, she knows me pretty well...and, uh...she..she knows that I wouldn't buy something that expensive for someone who...who, uh..didn't...who didn't uh...mean....ev- every..." He swallowed. He'd gone over this millions of times in his head. "S-someone who didn't...she...she knew that....I...I..." He shook his head. This was going every way but how he'd planned.  
  
Riley raised an eyebrow and turned at face him. "Travis...what are you going on about? You're not making any sense..."  
  
Travis sighed. "Lisa, she knew that I wouldn't buy something that expensive for someone who...someone who didn't mean e-ev-everything to me..."  
  
"But...but Travis...I...I don't know...I don't know what to say..." A tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"No...baby, why are you crying?"  
  
Riley was trying to contain laughter, but she failed and laughed lightly. "You did it again..."  
  
"What?" Travis looked thoroughly confused.  
  
She laughed again. "You look so cute like that!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Confused! I like it when you're confused. Wait a sec, don't move." She motioned with her hands to stay still.  
  
"Can I breathe?"  
  
Riley put her left hand on her hip, "Yes, you can breathe."  
  
"Just wondering because breathing requires moving."  
  
Riley rolled her eyes, "Oi!"  
  
"Now...what did I do to cause all of this?"  
  
"You called me baby..."  
  
"I don't understand why you make such a big deal over it...it's nothing..."  
  
"Nothing? When Travis Anthony Strong calls me baby it's huge!"  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"Well...you know when you're little and you're mom only lets you have ice cream every once in awhile, cause you're a kid and ice cream makes you bounce off the walls? Yeah, well, moms can only handle so much of that. So she takes you out for ice cream about once every month...ya know it's...it's different...it's a treat because you don't get it that often...It's the same way with you calling me baby." "But every time I do...you act as if you've never been called baby before.."  
  
"Oh don't take that wrong, I've been called baby lots of times...and other names too. Baby, babe, sweetie, sweets, honey, hun, chick, the occasional bitch from the ditsy little popular girls back in Cali...but...none of it's ever been like this though...when you say it, it's like....it's like I know you mean it, ya know? I know you're...sincere."  
  
"I don't believe I've called you many of those names..."  
  
"Especially not 'bitch' right?" Riley said, taking a step away from him. She shed the duster and lay it on the hood of the car.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
She shrugged, "Got a little hot..." She turned on her heel and ran like a bat out of hell.  
  
"What are you doing?" Travis repeated, chasing after her.  
  
"You'll see!" Riley said with a glance over her shoulder. She ran across to the center of the park and stopped behind a tree. She really had no clue what she was doing, but she felt like running.  
  
Travis had seen where she went and ran after her. When he stopped he was on the other side of the tree she was standing behind. Riley peeked around to see where Travis was. When she saw him she ran again, this time she really didn't know where she was going. Travis ran after her and wasn't too far behind. Riley looked over her shoulder and then around her. There weren't many places to go for hiding. She shrugged and stopped at one of the lower set trees, which she proceeded to climb to a fairly high branch. Travis had started to climb up after her until he realized she was only a few branches away from the highest one--This tree had to be at least sixty-three feet off the ground, if not higher. He stopped, way away from her.  
  
"Come on, Travis!"  
  
Travis stayed where he was. Looking up at her, he shook his head, "No..."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
He simply shook his head again.  
  
"Aww...come on! Don't ruin the fun! Get up here!"  
  
He looked up at her again, she had to be about sixty of the sixty-three feet off the ground. He swallowed and shook his head frantically.  
  
"Whyyy?"  
  
"I...I don't like heights, ok?"  
  
"Scared of heights, eh?"  
  
He shook his head a little. He didn't really like many people knowing the fact. "Could you..." he swallowed and motioned in a way that said "Come down here."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I...I don't really like you being up there." "Why? Cause you won't come up ta get me?" She teased as she slid and climbed down. She stopped when she was eye level with him. "Better?"  
  
Travis nodded, turned, and jumped down. Riley followed suit. She sighed and looked around. She slowly made her way over to the stream running directly in the middle of the park. Travis followed her and they both sat down. Riley leaned back on her arms and closed her eyes. After a few moments of silence, Riley rolled her head to look at Travis, "So..." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "Now what?"  
  
"I don't know..." Travis sat there, watching the stream. He glanced at Riley and saw her shivering.  
  
"Got cold all the sudden..."  
  
Travis smirked, "It's been cold.."  
  
"Yeah, well, my body suddenly decided to realize it!" she rubbed her arms.  
  
Travis shook his head as he took his jacket off and put it around her shoulders. Riley didn't even bother putting the jacket on properly before she moved to sit in front of Travis, leaning into him. Travis put his arms around her. She looked up at him and blinked. Was that a rain drop? Naw...she was imagining things. This was the perfect night, it would not rain. Riley had thought too soon because about twelve minutes later the two were running half way across the park for the car so they wouldn't get soaked.  
  
Once they got there, Riley grabbed the leather jacket, shoved it on, and got in, handing her boyfriend his jacket. When she closed the door, she looked at him, "This seems oddly familiar..."  
  
"I wonder why..."  
  
"I don't know...for some reason it seems like this might have happened on one of our dates..."  
  
"Man...that date was..."  
  
"The first date from hell? My thoughts too." Riley said, then quickly changed the subject, "So..anyway...what are we gonna do now?"  
  
"I don't know. Go...some...where?"  
  
Riley clapped a hand to her forehead, "Oi! This is great!"  
  
"Well, I didn't know it was going to rain tonight..."  
  
"You should have....you know everything else!" Riley joked. "Honestly, where should we go?"  
  
"I'd say back to you're house."  
  
She shrugged, "Alright...to the Brennon house it is!"  
  
~*~ 3/21/07 - 11:09pm  
  
Travis pulled into the driveway and both teenagers just sat there for a few minutes. Riley looked at him and kissed him. "Later or you comin?"  
  
"I'll come in..." "Ok." With that, the two teenagers opened their car doors, got out, closed them and ran into the house. Riley closed the door behind Travis. She shed the duster and checked it over. "Good...no water...well, not enough to count anyway."  
  
~*~  
  
3/21/07 - 11:18pm  
  
Travis and Riley had soon found that they weren't the only ones in the Brennon residence, Ray, Lily, Robbie, and Kim were all in the living room, talking when the last couple of the group came in. Riley acted casual then Lily's eyes widened, her mouth dropped open and she pointed at Riley.  
  
"What?" Riley asked.  
  
Kim noticed Lily's reaction and turned to look as well. Her reaction was just like Lily's. The two girls chorused, "Ohmygod!"  
  
"Where did you get it?" Lily asked.  
  
"How is more like it!" Kim said.  
  
Riley cast Travis a glance, "I've just got a really great boyfriend."  
  
"Travis got it for you?" Lily asked, to which Riley nodded.  
  
"How much did it cost?" Lily and Kim chorused, both looking at Travis.  
  
"That's for me to know and none of you to ever find out." Travis said as he sat down on the couch.  
  
"I don't even know how much it cost. Every time I asked he just said 'enough...trust me...' he was sooo starting to sound like my aunt and uncle!"  
  
Conversations between the six were mixed around and confused until midnight hit. The lights suddenly went out. Kim let out a squeal, Ray and Riley let out a chorused, "Dammit!" and Lily simply said, "Well, isn't this grand?"  
  
Someone flicked a lighter on. After a few moments, Ray was snapping it shut, "Ow...hot..." Even in the darkness, Lily knew where Ray was and she punched him in the arm. "Lily!"  
  
"What? That was stupid. Did you expect the fire to be cold?"  
  
"Yes, and hell's going to freeze over tonight too."  
  
Before anyone could say anything else, the lights came back on.  
  
"Ow! Bright! Light! Ahh!" Ray and Riley chorused. They looked at each other and glared. "Shut up!" there was a moment, "Be quiet!" another moment, "Hush!" yet another moment, in which they flicked each other off.  
  
"Ok, do they have off switches?" Lily asked.  
  
"No, sorry, we're not robots..." The two cousins chorused again.  
  
Ray looked at Riley and said, "Riley, I thought we had established that Travis was turning you into a weird-confusing Riley-android..." "But I'm not a robot, yet." She said, emphasizing the 'yet'.  
  
"Hmm...how long you think it'll take?"  
  
"At least another four months."  
  
"Just...stop..." Lily said. "Both of you...just...act like you have an off switch..."  
  
"Ok...but what's that got to do with anything?" The cousins chorused.  
  
Lily stood up and walked over to stand behind either of them. She slapped them both on the back of the head, "I just flipped the switch to off." She went back to the couch and sat.  
  
Ray and Riley had silently agreed to do this next. They stood still, eyes closed, heads down.  
  
"What are you doing?" Kim asked, giving them a weird look.  
  
"Lily turned them off. They're taking their part of...being off." Robbie said, shaking his head. "Can someone please just...turn them back on so they don't just stand there like idiots?"  
  
"They don't have to stand there to be idiots, they're more idiotic when they're on, you know?" Lily joked.  
  
No one got up to do anything, but after Lily had commented in the way she did, Riley and Ray's heads jerked up, "Hey! Shut up!"  
  
"Are you sure you two aren't twins separated at birth and have been told you were twins all this time?" Robbie asked.  
  
"Ah...I see...they've only got off switches, they come back on whenever they please." Lily said.  
  
The lights flickered. Riley sighed, "Bet the generator's gonna go out soon...."  
  
"Why don't we go get flashlights, candles, and any other possible source of light..." Kim suggested.  
  
"Great idea!" Riley said with enthusiasm. Everyone was staring at her, even Ray, "What? I'm bored!" She took off upstairs to her room. She grabbed her flashlight, the only two candles she had, which were both black, and ran back downstairs. She set the candles on the coffee table and took the flashlight with her as she went down to the basement. She never even realized that no one else had even moved.  
  
She shone the light around to find the light switch then flipped it on. The light flickered three times before becoming steady. She turned the flashlight off and went down the last few steps. She looked for any kind of thing that might provide light. She sighed and climbed up on the washer to look in the cabinets above them. She was on her knees and as she opened the door she almost fell backwards. "Aahh!" She grabbed on to the side of the washer to try and steady herself. She sighed as she looked in the cabinet. "Bug spray...bug killer...ant killer...some kind of acid stuff...no...wait...that's more bug spray..." She rolled her eyes.  
  
When she opened the cabinets above the dryer she found flashlights and candles galore as well as a camping lantern and five small cans of propane that it would use. She grabbed six flashlights, four candles, the lantern, and two of the propane containers. She didn't bother closing the cabinet door and she ran up the steps quick as she could without dropping anything. When she came back up, she threw the candles and flashlights down on the couch. "Ok! Enough, ya think?"  
  
"Seven flashlights, six candles, and a camping lantern....yeah, probably." Robbie said sarcastically. "I just grabbed stuff once I found it, ok? So you can shut up!" She said jokingly, smiling all the while.  
  
No longer than three seconds after she spoke, the generator kicked out and the electricity was gone. Someone turned on a flashlight, that someone was soon found to be Ray. After that, everyone else got flashlights out. Riley suddenly realized something. "Well, hell! After I got all this ya know we can't light the damn candles?" She rolled her eyes at her self and went upstairs and got her lighter out of her purse, as well as her pack of cigs. She couldn't help it, she hadn't lit up in the last eight months. As she came back down, she lit the cigarette. When she reached the living room, everyone was staring at her. "What?"  
  
"I didn't know you smoked..." Ray said.  
  
"Only sometimes..." Everyone was still staring at her, "Come on, people! I lived in LA! What'd ya expect? You want me to be pristine?" She lit all the candles with her lighter and let it be until they needed more light.  
  
After a few minutes of silence, Ray spoke. "Interesting...isn't it?"  
  
"Uh...what's interesting, Ray?" Lily asked. I swear...my boyfriend thinks everyone can read his mind... She thought. Sure, we all basically can but...not all the time...  
  
"Six teens, three couples, alone....electricity gone...and it's extremely quiet and making me go nuts!"  
  
Another few moments of silence went by, then Riley spoke. "Choose: A day with Disturbed or a day with Good Charlotte?"  
  
"Good Charlotte." Came the answers from Lily, Kim, and Travis.  
  
"You guys are insane! Disturbed!" Ray said.  
  
"I agree, cous...I agree..." Riley turned to Robbie, "What'd ya say, Robbie? GC or Disturbed?"  
  
"Hmm...I'd have to say Good Charlotte on this one."  
  
"No! Rock lost to punk!" Riley exclaimed.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N - Well, that was fun! ....or...maybe not, I don't know, tell me what you think! Ok...so the chapter title was a little sad but...it was kind of last minute because I forgot that I didn't have a title for it! Hope ya liked this chapter! Drop me a line!  
  
Later days!  
  
~PFB 


	13. A Possible Bit of Innuendo

A/N - Well...this chapter was fun to write but I will warn you....the last...oh...I dunno, probably a bit before the half was written with my friend. She doesn't really like the show but she has seen more than enough eps of RFR than needed to make this fun. Anyhow, just thought I'd warn you guys b/c it's different than normal....if there is such thing in my writing style lol! Hope you enjoy!  
  
Ch 13 - A Possible Bit of Innuendo - 3/21/07 - Wednesday - 1:36am  
  
Half of the candles had burned out, all of the flashlights excepts one had run the batteries out, the lantern was down to already using it's last container of propane. Everyone was still sitting around in the living room. Lily was in Ray's lap in the chair he was sitting in, Kim was in Robbie's lap on the couch. Riley was the only one not sitting her her respective boyfriend's lap. She just didn't see why girls did that, it was an extremely pointless way to get closer to you're boyfriend; plus, the one time when she had she noticed that Travis didn't really like it so she didn't do it any more. Riley sighed and fell over on to her side on the couch. The only person in the entire room that could make anything to do out of the silence running between the six of them was Travis. He could, and was, using the time to meditate. Riley looked at her boyfriend and rolled her eyes. "Meditating?" She shook her head best she could, considering she was practically embedded in the couch on her side, "You're one weird person Travis..."  
  
"Is he a person? Maybe he's an alien..." Ray said in the silence that followed after Riley's statement. "I've had my theories that he may be an alien...or an android, but I think that alien is more likely."  
  
"Really? I would think that a human-type android would be more realistic...seeing as how aliens probably don't look like humans." Riley said as she sat up, Indian-style.  
  
"Hmm...I think you may be on to something, Riley..." Ray said with an almost serious tone.  
  
Travis opened his eyes and looked back and forth between the two cousins, eyebrows raised. "Did it ever occur to you that I might be human?"  
  
The two looked at each other, then back to the blonde haired boy, "No."  
  
Riley smiled and said, "BUT...now that you mention it....maybe you are human...you've just been all around the world and you've learned about all kinds of crap that none of us really know about. When you think about it though, if we needed to, we could come for you for something about history, couldn't we?"  
  
"Or...you could just come to me for Chemistry..."  
  
"Hey! I know I suck at the damn class, I don't need you to tell me that!" She shoved him lightly.  
  
Everyone was quiet once again. Travis glanced around the room. Robbie, Ray, Lily, and Kim had all fallen asleep and Riley looked like he was about to fall. He and Riley were the only two fully awake. Riley looked around and saw the same thing. Hmm...Ray usually stays up pretty late...I figure he'd be awake....guess it all finally caught up with him. She smiled. It was interesting to see everyone around asleep. She glanced at Travis and smiled.  
  
"What?"  
  
She shrugged, "I dunno..." That was the last thing she said before she herself fell into a soundless slumber. Travis sighed and went back to meditating, which soon turned into him falling backwards into the couch, asleep.  
  
~*~ 3/21/07 - 2:02am  
  
Kim stirred awake. "Mmm...where...am I?" She whispered to herself.  
  
"The Brennon's..." She heard Robbie whisper.  
  
"Oh, hey baby...did I wake you up?"  
  
Robbie shook his head, "No, I've been awake..." "How long?"  
  
"About...five minutes..."  
  
Kim got up to sit next to him, rather than in his lap. She leaned over as he put an arm around her. She looked up at her boyfriend, "Robbie..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Are you gonna quit?"  
  
"I don't know, Kim..."  
  
"Oh, come on..."  
  
"Kim...they're my friends...I haven't seen them enough as it is. Sneaking around like I was before..."  
  
"Look, I'm not asking you to join Cougar Radio..."  
  
"Then why do I need to quit the station I'm doing?"  
  
"Isn't it a little....old?"  
  
"What? No...why? Do you think it is?"  
  
She shrugged, "I dunno...it's just...I don't know how good it is to be dating someone form my stations nemesis...you know?"  
  
"Kim...I'm not going to quit the station just because you think it's strange or not right dating someone from you're nemesis radio station."  
  
"Alright...fine...whatever." Kim said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Kim..."  
  
"Don't worry, hun, I'm not mad it's just...strange..." With that, Kim flipped the other way and lay down, closing her eyes to go to sleep.  
  
Robbie sighed as he leaned back against the couch, eyes closed. "Way to go, McGrath, way to go..." He whispered to himself.  
  
~*~ 3/21/07 - 3:31am  
  
Lily wasn't sure why, but she suddenly found herself awake at three thirty in the morning. She rolled her eyes. Three thirty? Why the hell am I waking up at three thirty? She sighed and suddenly remembered that she was in Ray's lap. When she felt him stir slightly, she turned to look at him and smiled. He was so cute when he was sleeping. "And not so sarcastic...." She muttered to herself. She noticed that he was smiling in his sleep and she suddenly wondered what he was dreaming about. "Hmmm...well...it's Ray...and he's a guy...I wonder?" Lily was asking herself sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Lils?"  
  
"Ray...did I wake you up?"  
  
"No...why?"  
  
"Well..I was talking to myself and I thought that maybe I...woke you up."  
  
"No...I just sort of...woke up."  
  
"Yeah, so did I....a few minutes ago..."  
  
"What time is it?" Ray asked, just before he yawned.  
  
Lily looked at her watch, "Three thirty-three."  
  
"Damn...If I'm supposed to be sleeping, why am I awake?"  
  
"Who knows...."  
  
"Not me...I'm usually sleeping right now..."  
  
Lily lazily punched him in the arm  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
"Who isn't usually sleeping at this hour?"  
  
Ray thought about it for a moment, then came back with, "People at an all night party...people that work the graveyard shift..people that work at the Wal Mart super center...and....the people that own the three-sixty-five- twenty-four-seven grocery store."  
  
She punched him in the arm again this time it was a little less haphazard, "Just...stop...go no farther."  
  
Ray shrugged, "You asked for it, Lils..."  
  
"Why do you people insist on calling me 'Lils'? My name is Lily.." She said with a lot of emphasis on 'Lily'.  
  
Ray shrugged again, "We could go around calling you...Lil...ooorrr...Shady..."  
  
"Yes, that would be wonderful, give my identity away."  
  
"So...what do you think we'll do next year, last show? Do you think we should...reveal who we are?  
  
It was Lily's turn to shrug, "I dunno...but I know whatever it is, it'll be big...seeing as how it will have to be a big going away blow out..."  
  
Soon enough, the couple fell asleep again.  
  
~*~ 3/21/07 - 4:58am  
  
Riley was never sure why she woke up at the hours she did, but every night she woke up the same hours: 2 and 4 something. There were times when she would wake up more often but that didn't happen too terribly much. Today was one of the normal nights, 4:58am, and here she was, downstairs, on the couch, wide awake. She had heard Robbie and Kim talking but she didn't listen to the conversation. She thought she had heard Ray and Lily at some point, but Riley had come to the conclusion that she was crazy. Right now, she was laying on her back looking at the ceiling, wishing and willing someone else to wake up, simply for the fact that she could talk to them. Riley sighed and sat up, thinking. After a few minutes of this, she realized she had a seriously killer headache. Was it from the thinking or sheer coincidence? She thought as she stood up to go get a Tylenol from the kitchen. Riley had been too bored and lost in her thoughts to realize that someone else was awake and, to be quite specific, not in the living room. When she entered the dark kitchen, she hadn't expected to see the silhouette of a person sitting at the kitchen table. She frowned, wondering who it was as she flipped on the light.  
  
"That was bright..." Travis said as he blinked to ge adjusted to the sudden light, "Yes, lights should be bright..." He shook his head and turned to face whoever had come into the kitchen and turned on the evil light. "Riley?"  
  
"Travis, what are you doing up?"  
  
"I could ask you the same thing..."  
  
The couple looked at each other for a moment and at the same time replied, "Couldn't sleep."  
  
"Are you a mind reader? Or...is Ray right?"  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Swami!" She said in a strange, slightly loud, and higher pitched voice. As she said this, she threw her hands in the air, then let them down at her sides. When Travis gave her a look, she said, "It's five in the morning, how do you expect me to act?"  
  
Travis shrugged. "Why couldn't you sleep?"  
  
Riley had already walked around the entire kitchen in a complete circle so she decided she would sit on the counter. She jumped up and sat and leaned back and forth as she answered him, "I dunno...I just wake up at two and four something every night, usually I can get back to sleep but tonight..." She shrugged, "Tonight, I couldn't..." She paused and threw herself forward with so much force, she almost threw herself off the counter. "What about you?"  
  
The blonde shrugged, "I have no clue...I woke up," He glanced at his watch, "Two hours ago...couldn't go back to sleep, came in here about an hour ago."  
  
Riley pushed herself off the counter and walked over to stand behind Travis. She slipped her arms around his neck and leaned down. "Travis?"  
  
He looked up at her, "Yeah?"  
  
Riley stepped back and took his wrist, "Come here! I wanna show you something."  
  
"Riley..." He said as he allowed himself to be pulled through the living room and up the stairs by his girlfriend. "What are you doing?"  
  
Riley knew exactly what she was doing. She was taking him to her room, so they could be alone. When they got there, she opened the door, letting him in first. When he was close enough, Riley shoved him onto the bed. Travis' eyes were wide as dinner plates as Riley straddled, pinned, and kissed him. No matter how surprised he was, he couldn't resist kissing back. After a few minutes of this, Riley broke the kiss.  
  
Travis blinked. Had any of the last seven minutes actually happened, or was this all just some kind of really wierd but, he had to admit, really great dream. Travis opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. He closed his mouth, liked his lips, and swallowed. He decided he would try and speak again. "I...R-Riley...." So maybe he couldn't speak, maybe he would just look shocked.  
  
"What?" Riley asked as she licked her lips. She wondered if anyone knew the fact that that was a bad nervoius habit of hers. She was really kind of wondering if Travis knew right now. She was chewing on her lower lip now. Maybe she had been wrong in doing this...was that blood? Had she chewed her lip that hard?  
  
Travis swallowed, "I..I...Wh...a..bu...What...." Travis closed his eyes, took in a deep breath and opened his eyes again. "Why...What...I..." So maybe talking was a bad idea. Maybe he was still too shocked by everything.  
  
Riley sat up, sitting there, straddling her boyfriend and she closed her eyes, sighing. "I...um...I have no clue why...I did all this...I should have known that...I mean...why would you...not yet..." Suddenly, Riley remembered her lip. She reached up and touched her lower lip and looked at her fingers. "So...guess I did bite down that hard..." She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, sitting on her knees. Her hands moved from her fingertips being at the bridge of her nose, to her temples, to stay on the back of her neck for a moment, and finally, her hands fell to her lap, where they stayed. "I'm sorry...I...I should have known...you're not that kind of guy...I'm...I'm sorry, I..." She glanced over at him, then back at the floor. She lowered her head and let her hair fall in her face.  
  
"No...Riley..." Travis sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. He let out a barely audible sigh and opened his eyes. "Riley...You're...You're right, I'm not that kind of guy and...I like that you have enough courtesy to respect that...and...a-and I...I really..." He swallowed. He really wasn't sure what he was trying to say exactly.  
  
Riley looked back at him again, "You mean...you don't....hate me or...anything?"  
  
"No...Riley...I could never hate you."  
  
"You could if I did the completely wrong thing..."  
  
"No...Riley, I don't care what you do...I'll never, ever be able to really, truly hate you...I...a...I...l-l...." He swallowed.  
  
Riley turned around and faced him, sitting cross-legged. "What?" She looked in his eyes and saw....she wasn't sure. It was sort of like a mix of fear and...something she couldn't quite place. She frowned, what was it?  
  
"a...I..." He licked his lips, "I...I don't know...I..." He bit his lower lip, "I don't know what I'm trying to say....."  
  
"Travis..." She took his hand in hers, "Come on, what is it?"  
  
He shook his head, "N-no...I...I don't know what I'm trying to say...."  
  
Riley was wearing a look of complete and utter confusion. "What?"  
  
"I...I don't know..."  
  
Riley was still extremely confused but she decided to not dwell on it. "Ok...well...I'm gonna go to bed..." After a second she added, "Here..I'm not going back down there."  
  
Travis nodded, "Ok..well...I'm going to go back down and...well..good night."  
  
Riley kissed him on the cheek. "Night..."  
  
Travis got up and walked to the door. When he reached it however, Riley gasped and spoke, "Oh! Wait!" Travis stopped and looked at his girlfriend, eyebrow raised.  
  
Riley got up and walked over to her desk and opened the center drawer. "No...not in there...where is it?" She closed that drawer and opened another one to her right. "Damn...where'd I put it?" She opened the drawer to the left of the center one and dug through it, "Ha! Found it!" She took out a black notebook, set it on the desk, closed the drawer and turned to face Travis.  
  
"What.."  
  
Riley made a motion with her hands to say "Silence", "I added....I want you to read it..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Iii added...I want you to read it..." As she said this, she was smiling.  
  
Travis started to come back in the room. "But I thought..."  
  
"I know.." she rolled her eyes haphazardly, "I said I don't usually let people read my stuff but..." She shrugged, "You're different...you...I know whatever you tell me, it's...it's sincere...it's real," She shrugged again, "True."  
  
Travis was standing next to her now, "Ok."  
  
Riley stood from where she had previously been sitting in her chair. They were practically right against each other. Riley was grinning, she kissed him again, this time though, it was a real kiss. When she broke away she was still grinning and she went to sit on her bed as Travis sat down and turned the desk lamp on. As her read, Riley watched him, observed really. It was almost as if she was entranced by him. To be completely honest, she had to say she was...captivated by him. She started humming. This caught Travis' attention. For a moment he stopped reading and, frowning, he tired to place the tune she was humming to the song. What was it? Then it hit him. He smirked and starting singing, more or less out of habit, if he knew a song he sang it. "The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful...Stop me and steal my breath."  
  
Riley grinned and continued with him, "Emerald from mountains, thrust toward the sky...Never revealing their depth..." She stopped and spoke, "You know the song?"  
  
"Yeah...did think you'd be the type to have even heard it, nevermind liked it..."  
  
Riley rolled her eyes, "Shows how well you know me, eh? I'm a very variationist type of person. I listen to...everything...except Opera...it scares me."  
  
Travis chuckled and shook his head. "You're a very variationist type of person, are you?"  
  
Riley nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah..."  
  
Travis shook his head again and sounded like he was going to say something but Riley didn't let him, "Go on! Read!" She hopped up and down on her knees on her bed. Travis turned back to the notebook and began to read again.  
  
~*~  
  
3/21/07 ~ 5:34am  
  
Travis was still reading from the little black notebook. He blinked, hard. He was really starting to get tired, but he was going to finish reading, he'd told her he'd read it and Travis Anthony Strong wasn't one to break a promise. Riley found herself starting to fall asleep. This was quite unnatrual for her because usually during Spring Break, she would stay up until all hours of the night and never even think about sleep at five thirty-seven. Travis shook his head, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Riley..." When he got no answer, he turned around, "Ri..." Before he even finished her name he smiled. She had fallen backwards onto her pillow. He glanced back at the notebook and shook his head, there was no way he'd be able to read any more of it. It was great, she'd written it with the perfect mix of humor, drama, and everything else, it was perfectly fit in with all the situations. He just couldn't stay up for any more, it was too late. He stood up and yawned, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to go all the way back downstairs. Travis wasn't sure when, but...evidentially, he'd gotten a pillow somehow at some point because about fifteen minutes later, he subconsciously noticed it. Maybe I'm losing my mind but, oh well...who cares..., was his last thought before he fell into a true slumber.  
  
~*~  
  
3/21/07 ~ 7:31am  
  
Riley had been in a perfectly normal slumber and she was perfectly happy-- until the phone rang. At first, Riley wasn't sure that the phone was actually ringing, maybe it was her imagination. That had been her hope, she really didn't want to get up. When she realized it wasn't her imagination and the phone really was ringing, she slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to glare at the phone. After the fifth annoying ring, she groaned and rolled over, picking the phone up. "Hello?"  
  
"Riley!" Cheyanne Strong's frantic voice came over the phone. "Do you know where Travis is? He never came home last night! I've been worried sick!"  
  
Travis? Oh...he hasn't been anywhere...my house...upstairs...my room...we were alone...nothing much has happened lately though, but I think he fell asleep somewhere up here...but other than that, nothing's happened. Riley thought. Shit...what an I going to tell her?  
  
"Riley? Riley, are you there?"  
  
"Oh shit..." Riley didn't even realize she was muttering, "He's here...in my room..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"On my desk..." Riley continued with what she thought was her mind rambling.  
  
"What?" Cheyanne's voice was slowly starting to get higher pitched.  
  
Riley's eyes widened as she suddenly realized that she had spoken her thoughts out loud. "Omygod! No! Mrs. Cheyanne! No! Don't get it wrong, we-- "  
  
"What is my son doing at you're house, in you're room, on you're desk?" She asked quickly in a slightly higher pitched voice.  
  
"Mrs. Strong, really, you've got to listen to me, please..."  
  
"I'm listening." Her voice was very stern now.  
  
"Ok...last night the electricity went out and eventually we all fell asleep- -"  
  
"All? Who is 'all'?"  
  
"Travis, Lily, Ray, Robbie, Kim, and I." Riley rattled off quickly.  
  
"Right...." She was skeptical now, "Continue..." "Well...we, Travis and I, came up to my room when we both woke up a little later..." Cheyanne made a noise but Riley continued since the woman didn't say anything. "And...we were talking. And...I write...stories...hopeful novels, and...he's been reading what I'm writing currently and...I wanted him to read what I'd written earlier and...he fell asleep at the desk..." Riley glanced over at him and thought, And some how ended up with a pillow...maybe Ray's right...he's not an android, he is an alien!  
  
"Oh....ok...I assume you're aunt and uncle were there, correct?"  
  
"Yeah...Aunt Marie and Uncle James were here." In the since of being here in mine & Ray's heads...seeing as how they're on a cruise somewhere and won't be back until tomorrow...but, they were here....sort of....  
  
Riley heard Cheyanne let out a sigh, hopefully of relief. "Well, I'll be wanting Travis home by eight thirty."  
  
Riley smiled, "Ok...he'll be there.."  
  
"Ok, bye hun..."  
  
Riley threw the phone down and jumped off the bed. She ran over to the chair and practically made the blonde boy convulse, all the while, yelling, "TRAVIS! WAKE UP!" She was pretty sure that he hadn't gotten to sleep until about five in the morning he probably wouldn't like being awaken only two hours later. "Travis! Get you're ass up! Wake up!"  
  
Travis was ever so slowly coming to. Riley wasn't liking how slowly he was waking up. She decided she'd actually wake the boy up this time. She shoved him out of the chair and yelled, "TRAVIS ANTHONY STRONG! WAKE UP!"  
  
Travis' eyes had flown open as he was falling to the ground, "What the--"  
  
"Took you long enough! You....slug!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You have to be home in-" She looked at her watch, "You've got to be home in fourty-five minutes and we have to wake everyone else up!"  
  
"Why do I have to be home in fourty-five minutes?"  
  
"You're mom called and she now knows that you were asleep in my room! On my desk, but still! In my room!"  
  
Travis blinked, "I don't swear often but I think this qualifies: Shit."  
  
"That was good... Just add a bit of enthusiasm."  
  
Travis jumped up from his place on the floor and followed Riley's advice. "Shit. SHIT. SHIT!"  
  
"Very good, now let's go wake everyone up!"  
  
As the two tore down the stairs, Riley said, "Ok, you wake Robbie and Kim up, I'll get Lily and Ray..."  
  
"If we yell, won't they all wake up?"  
  
"Not Ray. And right now, I'm the only one in this house that knows how to wake the boy up!"  
  
Travis looked at her, "I have a feeling this is going to involve things I want to know nothing of." Before they entered the living room, Riley starting yelling, "ALRIGHT YOU S.O.B.'S WAKE THE FUCK UP!"  
  
"Riley! Was that needed?"  
  
"To wake everyone up? Yes."  
  
When they entered the living room, three of the four teenagers were wide awake.  
  
"Did you just swear at me?" Kim asked.  
  
Riley looked at her with an annoyed expression on her face. "Yes." She glanced around the room for something not breakable. The only thing that as found was a throw pillow. She looked at the pillow and shrugged, picking it up and walking over to Ray. "RAY! WAKE YOU'RE ASS UP YOU SMARMY BASTARD!"  
  
"You know, all those documentaries on England really weren't good for you." Robbie said.  
  
"Why exactly did you wake us up?" Lily asked.  
  
"Because your parents have no clue where the hell you are!"  
  
"Crap..."  
  
Riley turned back to her still sleeping cousin. She rolled her eyes, "I was thinking it wouldn't have to come to this..." She looked from him to the pillow in her hand. She shrugged and started attacking him with the pillow. "WAKE UP! Please....wake up!...please, please, please."  
  
"Why are you waking him up? He lives here." Kim interrupted the black haired girl's antics.  
  
After bashing Ray in the head with the pillow a few more times she stopped. "Oh..you're right..."  
  
"I know how to wake him up..." Lily said, getting up from her current position on the floor, where she had been since Riley yelled a few moments earlier.  
  
Riley stopped her, "No! We'll never get you back! I won't let you!"  
  
While Riley had turned around, Ray had woken up. He smirked. Since she didn't know he was awake he knew this would be great. All he did was simply take hold of her sides, pulling her backwards into his lap and she screamed. "RAYMOND!"  
  
Ray knew he would eventually get hit for it, but it was fun anyway. As soon as the thought of getting hit crossed his mind, she hit him on the shoulder. "What is with you two and hitting me?" He asked, indicating Riley and Lily.  
  
"I hit you because of the shit you do!"  
  
"And I punch you because of the stupid things you say." Lily replied.  
  
Ray sighed. "Ok...so...why did you attack me with the pillows?"  
  
Before she actually answered him, Riley went off on something, "The Brennon Wars: Attack of the Pillows...." Everyone gave her raised eyebrows. "WHAT? It's called playing on words, people!" She rolled her eyes, "Anyway, I don't know why I woke you up, Kim recently pointed out that you live here but...everyone else has to get home...well...most likely."  
  
Before anyone could say anything at all, the phone rang. Ray was right next to it so he answered. "Hello?"  
  
"Oh, hi Ray. Is Travis on his way home?"  
  
"Uh..no...he's right here...in the living room..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why? Why what?"  
  
"Why is he still in you're living room? He should be home by now..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
As everyone heard Ray's end of the conversation similar thoughts like, What is he, two? ran through everyone's minds.  
  
"Well, he was supposed to be home fifteen minutes ago..."  
  
"Fifteen minutes ago? What?"  
  
Riley and Travis looked at each other with realization hitting,.  
  
"Well...uh....he's here...now..." Ray said, obviously very confused with Cheyanne right now.  
  
"Let me talk to either you're mother or father, please."  
  
"Uh...I would but, they're gone..."  
  
"Where are they? The store?"  
  
"No...they went on a one week cruise. They won't be back until tomorrow."  
  
Riley smacked her forehead. She knew what was going on now. This was going all wrong, horribly, horribly wrong.  
  
"What? But...Riley told me that they were there just yesterday....if this cruise is for a week, how were they there yesterday and will be home tomorrow?" Cheyanne was getting concerned and distressed now.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Hey! Ray! I need you're help!" Riley suddenly yelled.  
  
"With what?"  
  
"This...box!"  
  
"What box?" Ray asked, staring at his very bizarre cousin.  
  
"The one I'm carrying up the basement stairs!" Riley gave him a "Come on! Go along with it!" look.  
  
"Ok! Hold on!" He went back to talking to Cheyanne, "Um...Mrs. Strong...could I...uh...talk to you later?"  
  
"I heard and yes. But send my son home immediately." "Ok. Bye."  
  
Riley smacked Ray in the head, "You ruined everything!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"We're in deep shit!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Ray? Are you five year old trapped inside a seventeen year olds body?"  
  
"I might be...but...right now I'm a confused five year old and whatnot...Now, back to the original topic...why are we in deep shit?"  
  
"Because...Mrs. Strong now knows that not only did her son, Robbie, Kim and Lily stay the night, but she knows that your parents were not here to provide... parental supervision of six extremely hormonal teenagers. This means she will be calling everyone's parents. This means your parents will be calling my parents. This means I might be going home after I worked so hard to convince my parents to let me stay. This means we are all going to be so very grounded! This also means that I'm going to kill you and you are a complete moron!"  
  
"How was I to know?"  
  
"You were just supposed to!"  
  
"So what do we do?"  
  
"Praying might help," Robbie said lightly.  
  
"Well, at least the situation couldn't get any-"  
  
"Shut up, Ray! Don't say it!"  
  
"Worse..."  
  
"You git! You just made everything worse!"  
  
Everyone stayed where they were, still and quiet, waiting for something to happen. After waiting for about two minutes, nothing happened. "Ok, so maybe it won't happen immediately! But it will happen! One of us is gonna die or something!"  
  
"Well...I don't really wanna die." Lily said.  
  
"Well...to late! Your boyfriend ruined everything! We're gonna die now!"  
  
Travis was standing behind Riley now. He put a hand on her shoulder, "Riley, calm down, really. We don't need everyone panicking."  
  
Riley turned her head to look at her boyfriend. "If you don't get home, you're going to be the dead one!"  
  
Travis looked thoughtful for a second, "Aww hell." and with that, he left.  
  
After a moment, Lily pointed where her blonde friend had just been. "Did he just say, 'aww hell'?" "You're a really bad influence on him, you know." Ray said.  
  
"No I'm...actually...he said shit four times upstairs and just said hell, maybe you're right..."  
  
~*~ 3/21/07 ~ 9:01am  
  
When Travis walked in the door, Cheyanne immediately started in on her son. "Why were you at the Brennon's last night? With neither James nor Marie, who would actually be the more trustworthy one...but anyway! With neither of them there! And on top of that you were upstairs in Riley's room! And you slept there! What were you thinking?"  
  
"Mom, what are you talking about?"  
  
"You had sexual intercourse with that girl didn't you?"  
  
Travis sighed. He was not in the mood for this. "Yes mother, we had sex. It was very possible for us to do so with her on one side of the room on the bed and me on the other side, at the desk...and later on the desk...how I got there and where the pillow came from, I'm not really sure..."  
  
Cheyanne frowned. Even if he was telling the truth, Travis wasn't ever one to stray from the subject. "What has that girl done to you? Made you into a liar? You're not allowed to see her any more!"  
  
Travis resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. He knew she wasn't serious. "Mom, if you don't believe me, call her. She has four witnesses. Trust me, if any of them had heard anything from upstairs, they would have come to see and...well...they would have seen. But there was nothing to see because we did nothing."  
  
"Nothing...at all?"  
  
"No, mother. Nothing happened...Nothing."  
  
Cheyanne looked her son and tried to decide if he was telling the truth or lying. After a few moments, she sighed. "Alright. If I find out that anything did happen..." She warned.  
  
"Mom, really, nothing happened. Except my girlfriend waking me up at seven thirty when I'd only just gotten to sleep about an hour ago..."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry but I was worried. You never called, you always call, what was I supposed to do?"  
  
"I don't know...I have a cell phone...You could have called me instead of my girlfriend's personal phone line."  
  
"Travis..."  
  
"Don't tell me to go to my room, I'm already doing it."  
  
Cheyanne sighed and closed her eyes. Travis finally let the temptation of rolling his eyes go as he made his way up the stairs.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N - Well...wasn't THAT fun? Travis swore...like...five times! Woohoo! Riley really IS a bad influence on him, isn't she? lol! Next chapter might be up by tomorrow, I'm not sure...Maybe even later tonight.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hey guys, this isn't a note or anything else, I'm just trying to test something.  
  
bbold? b  
  
iitalics? i  
  
uunderline? u  
  
biubold italics underline? biu  
  
bbold? /b  
  
iitalics? /i  
  
uunderline? /u  
  
biubold italics underline? /b/i/u  
  
I hope this works but.if it doesn't oh well. I'll know that it doesn't ^^ 


	14. The Aftermath

Ch 14: The Aftermath -3/22/07 - 4:01pm  
  
Disclaimer - Ok, guys...I just realized that I haven't put a disclaimer up here. Well...I don't own RFR or any of the characters held within this fic....except the eccentric being that is Riley Diane, and of course her parents who make very few appearances: Sarah, and David Brennon.  
  
Dedication - This chapter i s dedicated to my friend Jessica for all of the many, many references that you guys might laugh at but you won't truly get. Damon belongs to Jessica, she wishes that Loki belonged to her. Actually, I want Loki to belong to me...you should too. Trust me, if you knew Loki like either of us do, you'd want him to belong to you.  
  
Travis was dreading the next few days, purely because of his mother. He really wished she would just stop coming upstairs, opening his door, looking around, and closing the door again. It was getting really annoying. It really wasn't so annoying for the fact that she was doing it, but more for the fact that she was doing it so often. She came up about every twenty minutes and Travis was seriously starting to consider leaving the house.  
  
Cheyanne walked up the stairs to go check on Travis again. She was making check rounds every so often now to make sure he wasn't doing anything he wasn't supposed to. Cheyanne knocked on her son's door and opened it. She stuck her head in and peeked around, "Hi dear, just checking on you." She smiled and closed the door. Travis heard his mother's resounding footsteps. He waited until he knew she was in the kitchen, or somewhere that wasn't near the living room. He stood and picked his keys up and went downstairs. He went down and left the house. He couldn't stand one more minute of his mother acting the way she was or one more of her stupid check ups. As Travis got into the car he suddenly realized that he had no clue where the hell he was going. He started the car and backed out of the driveway and sighed. He rolled his eyes at himself. He really needed to figure out where he was going.  
  
After driving around for a little while, Travis found himself at Mickey's. He sighed but pulled into a parking place and got out. He soon found himself sitting in a chair doing absolutely nothing at all but...sitting there.  
  
~*~  
  
3/22/07 - 4:03pm  
  
Robbie was really shocked that his parents didn't ground him, at all. It was actually really strange. He wasn't sure that he wasn't going to be grounded, they had probably just been to surprised and whatnot to really say anything. He didn't know why they would be so shocked though, seeing as how he'd forgotten to call before. They hadn't worried that much then--And when that had last happened, he'd been at a party that had alcohol, drugs, and all kinds of other things. Robbie didn't understand adults. Currently, the dark skinned boy was sitting upstairs on the floor of his room. Parents aren't meant to make sense I don't guess...they never do seem to. But shouldn't mom and dad have been more worried about that party rather than this? Maybe their....parental programming wires were switched around....I've got to get out of here.... Robbie knew his parents weren't home right now so he went downstairs, grabbed his keys, and went out the door. They wouldn't be back before he was.  
  
~*~ 3/22/07 - 4:06pm  
  
Lily wasn't shocked in the least when her parents grounded her for three weeks. She didn't make anything too much of it either; She knew they'd forget about it half way through next week. However, for the time that she would be grounded, she couldn't talk on the phone, watch tv, get on the computer or leave the house unless it was needed. She was starting to wonder if going to Mickey's could be considered as 'needed'. Maybe she could go for the open mike, that was needed for her to get over her stage fright, right? Not that she hadn't already now but, it was an excuse to get out of the house, right? Lily sighed from her position on her bed and sat up. She stood and went down into the living room where her mom was reading a book by some guy who had probably written really great but now could write no more for the fact that he was dead. "Mom?"  
  
"Yes, dear?"  
  
"Can...I go to Mickey's?"  
  
Emily Randall raised an eyebrow, "Why?"  
  
"I have a new song and...I want to know what people think about it."  
  
Her mom looked at her inquisitively, trying to make out what she was really saying.  
  
"Mom....pleeeeeaseeee...." Lily jumped up and down a few times.  
  
Her mom sighed and Lily knew she was giving in. "Alright...but only for an hour."  
  
"But...mom....I don't know if I'll get on stage in an hour..."  
  
"Alright, two hours, but I don't care if you get on stage or not, two hours you're coming home."  
  
"Thanks mom! Later!"  
  
~*~ 3/22/07 - 4:10pm  
  
Kim had gone home to an empty house that morning. Her parents came home and never knew a thing. Even if they had known, she knew how to work her mother and she had her father wrapped around her finger, it would have been easy to get out of a grounding. Though there was always the few rare occasions things like that didn't work and, that could have very well been one of those occasions but...she'd never know because she would never tell her parents about what happened that night. She was really starting to get bored and as she went down stairs she decided what she would do. There really wasn't much to do in Roscoe so, she decided she's just go hang at Mickey's for a bit. "Mom! Dad! I'm going out, be back later!" And she was gone.  
  
~*~  
  
3/22/07 - 4:12pm  
  
Riley and Ray hadn't gotten off as lucky as the others. They had gotten two lectures from Maire and James. If you knew the two, you would know automatically that James' lecture was a lot less harsh than Marie's. You really couldn't call what James had said a lecture, more of an "It was wrong, don't do it again," kind of thing. Marie however, was very red in the face and yelling at the two for what they'd done. Yelling wasn't a very often occurrence for Marie Brennon but when she did, you knew it was bad and there was most definitely something very, very wrong or evil going on. The two seventeen year old's were still downstairs in the living room on the couch next to each other, wincing at Marie's harshness at points. She had sort of started running out of points and it seemed like she was just....starting over but neither Ray or Riley were daring enough to point this out to her.  
  
"I can't believe you two! You had all four of them over? You had three teenage couples in the house alone...and no one knew where their children were! You could have called their parents!"  
  
When Marie paused, Ray decided he'd go out on a limb and say something, "Uh...mom...the...electricity was kind of...gone."  
  
"I don't care, Raymond!" the woman snapped. "One of the six of you was bound to have a cell phone! Those would have still worked!" In his mind, Ray agreed, she did have a point. At this point, after three hours of yelling and berating the two teenagers, Marie was really losing points and getting tired of yelling, though she wasn't sure if they got her point, even though it had all been going on for so long. Marie decided she would just stop yelling, try to calm down, and in a little while, she'd have to call Sarah and David and talk to them about it. She took a breath before speaking again, "I'm done. Go to your rooms."  
  
Ray and Riley immediately obeyed the woman for the sheer fact that they didn't want her to suddenly change her mind and start yelling again. Ray went to his room and Riley followed him. ray wasn't sure he wanted to ask why she was going to his room rather than hers so he just kept quiet. When they entered the room, Riley shut the door and both of them ran over to the computer chair. They shoved each other out of the way, both trying to be the one successful in sitting there. In the end, Riley won because she'd threatened to kick Ray in places he'd rather not be kicked. Ray wasn't sure if she was telling the truth but he decided not to test her and sat on the bed. Riley spun around in the chair a few times then let out a strange noise when she stopped, facing her cousin. "Wwwaakkaa!"  
  
Ray raised an eyebrow at the eccentric girl, "And what is that?"  
  
She answered with, "Stonnnngggg....."  
  
Ray just looked at her as if she were insane.  
  
"I know I'm insane, so just shut UP, Damon! And you too, Loki!"  
  
"Hearing voices again?"  
  
"I always hear them...some days there just more pronounced than others....sometimes, they are even influential on my choices of things..." Riley nodded slowly with a very serious look on her face.  
  
"You're really spending way too much time talking to your friends back in Cali....The strangeness you had when you first came here is slowly seeping back into you from the keyboard when you talk to them."  
  
"Melanie, Carrie, and Faith are perfectly normal people! It's people like...I dunno...Audrey, who are weird! You're normal too...and Robbie, Lily, and Travis as well."  
  
"That's where the line stops." Ray said, moving his hand from one side to the other, horizontally, as if to illustrate the line he was speaking of. "Travis is weird...."  
  
"Then so are you."  
  
"Does that mean you and your California friends are as well?"  
  
Riley thought about it for a moment. "Naw! We're still normal."  
  
After a few moments of complete silence went by, Ray spoke again. "This is really boring....we should do something."  
  
"Like?"  
  
He shrugged, "Go to Mickey's?"  
  
"You honestly think Aunt Marie is going to let us go to Mickey's after all the yelling she did? Puh-leaze! She's only my aunt, I haven't exactly been living with the woman my entire life and I know her better than you do."  
  
"That's where you're wrong. Since I have lived with her my entire life and she is my mother, I know her very well. I know her well enough to know that after three hours of yelling, she probably won't want to see us for awhile...she'll let us go..." He paused and added, "More than likely."  
  
"Which one of us is gonna ask her?"  
  
"You."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It was your idea."  
  
"No, it was your idea."  
  
"You're the one that said we should do something."  
  
"Yet again, that was you."  
  
"Is there any way I can win this?"  
  
"No. Usually there is a way you could win but...I can't think of one this time."  
  
"Ah...here's something: She's my mother, naturally when she gets done yelling at me for three hours, she probably not going to want to see my face for awhile. You on the other hand, she'll still treat you basically the same since you're her niece and not actually her child. You get to ask her for the fact that she'll just end up yelling at me again and we have more of a chance of getting a yes out of her from you rather than me."  
  
"Wow....that was a lot from the tiny, peanut sized brain you normally have. I think Travis' logic is starting to rub off on you."  
  
"So...are you going to?"  
  
She sighed and rolled her eyes. Riley knew that the moment she got out the door, he was going to sit in the computer chair. "Yeah..." She spun around in three circles, stopping when she was facing Ray again.  
  
"I win."  
  
"For once."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Riley grinned and got up to go down and ask. And just as she suspected, the moment she was out the door she could hear him run over to the chair. When she entered the kitchen, where her Aunt Marie was, she smiled.  
  
"Oh, hi Riley."  
  
"Hi Aunt Marie."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Nothing...just..." She said the first thing that came to her mind, "Getting a soda." She walked over to the refrigerator and took a Mountain Dew out. After she took a sip of the sweet, green sugary goodness she asked, "So...Aunt Marie...I was wondering....could Ray and I go to Mickey's?"  
  
Marie looked like she was going to burst into rage again but when she spoke she was very calm. "Yes...I think it'd be good for you to leave...I might be able to suppress the excess rage from within enough to the point where it will only barely exist...but never fear, my dear niece, when you come back the rage will still be there...just not as evident as earlier."  
  
Riley was standing behind her aunt and both of her eyebrows were raised and eyes wide. Her aunt was being really weird right now. That's ok, She thought, At least we can get out of here...away from all the...not so suppressed rage. "Thanks Aunt Marie!" Riley ran out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and burst into Ray's room. "Guess what?"  
  
Ray, who had the back of the chair turned, jumped at the sound of the door and turned around. "I don't know...are you running from the rage that is my mother?"  
  
"No...I"m running up here to tell you we can go....she said, and I quote, 'Yes...I think it'd be good for you to leave...I might be able to suppress the excess rage from within enough to the point where it will only barely exist...but never fear, my dear niece, when you come back the rage will still be there...just not as evident as earlier.' That's it."  
  
Ray blinked. "You remembered something word for word of what my mother said?"  
  
"Well...yeah...she only said it like, six seconds ago."  
  
"Right..."  
  
"Anyway...later!"  
  
"Later? What?" But before he had gotten the two words out of his mouth, his cousins form was gone and the door was closed.  
  
A few minutes later, Ray rolled his eyes as he waited for Riley. Why did girls always have to take so long to go anywhere? It just never made sense. When Riley came out of her room and down the stairs she was clad in a white to-the-waist top tank top, a pair of black jeans and a pair of black high- top type Sketchers boots. Ray looked at her and said, "It took you that long to get dressed?"  
  
"Yeah....Ray, I couldn't decide which top to wear." Riley responded sarcastically. "No, Lily called me, she's at Mickey's fixing to perform a new song she came up with. She warned me that it's pretty depressing but she was perfectly happy when she wrote it. She also told me to inform you it has nothing to do with you guys' relationship, it is not, she repeats through me, NOT directed at you. Got it?"  
  
"Don't know if I'll remember all that but, yeah."  
  
~*~  
  
The two fought over the keys to drive for several minutes. Ray had won for the simple fact that he was about six foot and Riley was a mere five foot five and a half inches. However, he almost gave the keys to her because she'd threatened to kick him again but he held the keys out of her reach and she finally gave up, letting him drive.  
  
"I still don't see why you got to drive." Riley muttered as they tried to find a seat after entering Mickey's. It was open mike tonight and there was always a good turn out because basically everyone knew someone who was going to be on stage.  
  
"For the simple fact that I'm taller than you and I can hold the keys out of your reach."  
  
"I knew I should have kicked you...you didn't think I'd actually do it, did ya?"  
  
"No...but now I'm starting to change my mind...with that whole...psycho look you're giving me."  
  
"You say psycho like it's a bad thing..."  
  
They finally found two seats near the back come to find out, Travis, Robbie, and Kim were all there as well. Ray could care less about Kim but otherwise, this was really ironic. Riley sat next to Travis, Ray next to his cousin, Kim was on his other side and the line ended with Robbie.  
  
"Have you been forbidden to see me yet, Strong?"  
  
"No...not yet. Well, not seriously anyway."  
  
Riley frowned, "What do you mean?"  
  
"My mom..she's weird and--"  
  
"So the truth comes out...now we know who you get it from.."  
  
Ray motioned to the other four to be quiet, Lily was on stage now.  
  
"Well...it's been awhile since I've been up here...thought I'd just....drop by." Lily spoke into the mike. It was pretty obvious she'd rather not be doing this but she saw all five of them in a row in the back and grinned. When she saw Ray give her two thumbs up and Riley wave her hands next to her face with her tongue out, she felt an odd burst of confidence. It sure does seem to come at strange times...and comes along with weird things. She took a breath and started to play and sing.  
  
I don't know where I went wrong But I know that you're gone Are you comin' back? I don't know  
  
Wanna call it fate? (spoken) Sure Wanna call it luck? (spoken) Fine. Wanna call it chance? (spoken) Whatever  
  
You're gonna take. My life. A-way. You're gonna take. My will. A-way You're gonna take. My eve-rything And throw it all awa-ay  
  
I don't know why I keep callin' you then hangin' up I don't know why you keep callin', you know I'm not gonna answer Why we keep seein' each other on the street, I don't know  
  
Wanna call it fate? (spoken) Sure Wanna call it luck? (spoken) Fine. Wanna call it chance? (spoken) Whatever When you're comin' back-I don't know Got you're letter-3 days ago You're comin' back I don't know when-But I know it's happenin'  
  
Wanna call it fate? (spoken) Sure Wanna call it luck? (spoken) Fine. Wanna call it chance? (spoken) Whatever  
  
You're gonna bring. My life. You're gonna bring. My soul. You're gonna bring. My will. You're gonna bring. My eve-rything. You're gonna bring. It all. Right Back.  
  
Wanna call it fate? (spoken) Sure Wanna call it luck? (spoken) Fine. Wanna call it chance? (spoken) Whatever (Music to fade)  
  
As the last bars of the song were played, everyone in Mickey's was clapping and cheering. Lily immediately ran to the back where her friends were. Riley was the first to stand up. "Ohmygod! That was great! I'll love you forever if you let me use that song in my book!"  
  
Lily laughed at Riley's comment. "Yeah, whatever, give me credit though."  
  
"So, how's it feel to be in-Mickey's-famous?" Ray asked.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes. "Ray...that made no sense."  
  
"Did you understand it?"  
  
"Well..yeah."  
  
"Then that's all that matters and you lied because if you understood then it made sense."  
  
"Just because I understood doesn't mean it made sense. I've known you since we were like...three, I'm bound to be able to make sense of you're incessant rambling by now."  
  
"Ahh...you think I ramble. You obviously haven't met my cousin. Her name's Riley Diane and she goes on about stuff no one knows about."  
  
"What are you--" Before she finished her sentence, at least half of Mickey's, including Mickey himself, had all turned to look at Riley.  
  
"Loki! Damon! Go AWAY! I don't need you in my head right now! I'm at Mickey's....yeah, I guess you would know where we are...what I'm doing...just...go away for awhile...come back when we go home." "Nevermind." Lily said and everyone went back to their own conversations and doings.  
  
Travis was standing behind Riley when he placed both of his hands on either of her shoulders. "Riley, are you talking to the voices in your head again?"  
  
Riley nodded. "Yeah...and they aren't listening! Travis! Make 'em go away!"  
  
"Meditate."  
  
"Meditate?"  
  
"Yeah...it clears your mind."  
  
Riley shook her head, "I don't think so..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, first off I don't think I have the patience to meditate and second of all, I really don't think that anything will get Damon and Loki outta my head unless they decide to be...no so evident."  
  
"Maybe a psychologist would help." Kim said.  
  
"No, honestly, they aren't going anywhere unless they want to." After a pause, Riley shouted, "Cow in a white tank top scrunched under a desk!"  
  
All five of the other group of teens looked at her. "Riiiiiiight."  
  
"No, really, flashing through my mind twelve seconds ago there was a cow in a white tank top and it was all scrunched up under the desk....I think it was Loki's fault."  
  
Ray looked at her with an odd look. "What did he do? Hold the cow at gun point until it went under the desk and got all scrunched up?"  
  
"I don't know! It's Loki! But then again...it could have been Damon....Damon does strange things...."  
  
"You guys can get off the topic of the voices in my girlfriend's head, I'll help her with them....you guys can have a....normal conversation...." Travis said, guiding his girlfriend to a table in the back corner.  
  
"So....why are we over here?"  
  
"Because..." Travis started, "No one else wants to hear chatter about the voices in your head."  
  
"They might, you never know...."  
  
"You know, if writing didn't work out for you, you could always be an actress."  
  
Riley shook her head, "No. I'd be on Saturday Night Live. I couldn't act all...specific like in a movie...unless it was a movie that I could mad lib in and it wouldn't matter....like Dude Where's My Car....that's the kind of movie I'd be in...." Riley nodded several times. "Yeah...definitely....and Ashton Kutcher, Sean William Scott, and Mike Myers would all be in the movie....I think I'd get on with them pretty well...."  
  
"Right..." Travis said. The people that thought he was weird, should really meet his girlfriend.  
  
"Travis...I'm bored...I wanna do something. Any ideas?"  
  
Travis shook his head, "No."  
  
Riley looked thoughtful. Bowling?, "No..." Walk?, "Naw..." Ice Skating?, "No...I don't really feel like falling on my ass today." Roller bladeing? "Same as above..." She sighed and looked at her boyfriend, "Well, so far I've got nothing...less we see a movie..."  
  
"Do you want to see a movie?"  
  
"No...not really."  
  
Travis rolled his eyes, "Why mention it if you don't want to do so?"  
  
She shrugged and completely out of the blue she said, "And so ends another chapter of life."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You'll know one day, you'll know. You'll really understand me."  
  
"I don't think anyone can fully understand you, Riley."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N - Well, wasn't that half a basket full of grandma's cookies? *crickets* Don't ask...What I meant was: Wasn't that a half-ass piece of a chapter? Well, the end kinda sucked but....whatever dude! I didn't know what to do. I know what I'm doing for the next chapter but I couldn't put it in yet so...yeah. Anyway, reviews appreciated, love what feed back I've gotten so far. ^_^  
  
Later days  
  
~PFB 


	15. We Need To Talk

A/N - OMG! This chapter is short! I thought it would be longer but...I decided to make a cliffie. *grin* I know! Cliff hangers suck when your the one reading 'em but...when you're writing them it's just...fun! lol  
  
Disclaimer - See Chapter 14.  
  
A/N2 - Muwahahaha! See....all the other authors say "See chapter 1" for the disclaimer but nope! Not PheonixFireBlack, nooooo you have to see chapter 14! *nod* *nod  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Ch 15: We Need To Talk - 5/18/07 - 2:15pm - Friday  
  
Riley was trying to find her boyfriend before her next class started, which was in fifteen minutes. She knew that she'd eventually be found by Waller and given a detention because the tardy bell had already rung but, she was willing to take that chance. Not that a detention would kill her, she'd had them before, though amazingly enough, none so far all the way through her third year of high school. Riley decided to forget school rules and she started running down the hallway--reason being she saw Travis. She knew she'd never catch up to him in time if he didn't stop. "Travis!" She called out to him.  
  
Travis was on his way to his History class when he heard someone call his name. He knew the voice instantly. It was Riley and she was behind him. He turned around and looked through the large, but dissipating amount of students to see her. When he did, she beckoned for him to come closer. He made his way through the students that were left, still trying to get their classes on time. When he finally reached her, before he could get a word out she spoke.  
  
"Thank you, Lord..." Riley whispered, then to Travis she said. "Ok...after school, meet me at...Mic--no, too public--the pa--no...still too many people--uh...my house...I need to talk to you about something..."  
  
"Riley, what is it?" As he looked at her face, in her eyes trying to figure out a possibility of what was going on, he could of sworn he saw nervousness and worry? This wasn't right. This wasn't Riley. What the hell was going on?  
  
"I'll tell you later...just...meet me on the back porch after school, kay?"  
  
"Alright, see you then."  
  
~*~  
  
5/18/07 - 4:13pm  
  
Riley had been on the back porch from the moment she'd gotten home from school. The only thing she'd done before coming out was take her bag upstairs to her room and drop it on her bed. Now she was pacing back and forth from one side of the porch to the other. She was nervous, worried, tense, and to be quite honest, she was alarmed that she had even thought about this. It was not even a month ago that she had almost tried but she'd stopped herself. She hadn't been ready and even if she had, she knew he most likely wouldn't have done it anyhow. Now she was ready, or at least she thought so, and she wanted to know what he thought. I'm gonna make him run away...screaming...he's not going to do this with you Riley....what the hell are you thinking? Shit...now you've got to come up with something for the reason of him being here.  
  
Shut up...  
  
[Come on, Riley...you know you want our input...]  
  
Trust me Loki, I don't.  
  
(Well...ok...we'll just go back to being incognito)  
  
You guys do that... And Damon and Loki were gone from her head...for now. Maybe I should just call him...tell him I changed my mind. I mean...he doesn't have to come...I don't have to lie...don't have to...bring it up....we don't....no....you're going to do this, Riley, you're going to do this....I know you don't like it but you are going to-- Someone had appeared behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. She stiffened slightly, then relaxed. She knew who it was. It was him. "Travis...." She took a step and a half and turned around.  
  
"Riley...why--" He stopped. There was that look in her eyes again. That look of being frightened almost and on top of that, she looked distracted. This wasn't like Riley, something must be seriously wrong. "What's going on?"  
  
Riley glanced at him then looked down at the ground, biting her lower lip. She walked over and sat on the edge of the porch railing, swinging her legs back and forth and looking everywhere but at Travis. She wasn't so sure she should have asked him to come over today. She should have called him and told him that he didn't have to. She wasn't sure that she could even say and ask what she needed to. This was really bad. Now she had to think of something that would be believable and a little realistic. Well...wasn't this just great? The only thing going through Riley's head at the moment was a single word: Shit.  
  
Travis watched her for a few moments, trying to see if there were any clues to what was going on. She wasn't giving him anything that was readable but this wasn't an odd thing for him to experience with her. He walked forward, over where she was to stand in front of her. "Riley, what's going on?"  
  
She glanced at him then to the ground again. He was eye level now and she wasn't sure she could talk to him about this with him looking at her like that, eye level and everything. She licked her lips and bit her lower one. This was wrong. She shouldn't have done this and he should so not be here. She licked her lips again.  
  
Travis frowned. She was obviously nervous. He'd figured out that in certain situations when she was nervous she'd lick her lips. What had Riley acting so strange? What happened to the Riley Diane Brennon he knew and...what happened? "Riley.." He started again.  
  
"We...we need to talk."  
  
Those were four words Travis Strong wasn't planning on hearing, nor did he want to hear them. Sure, it had happened before but Riley...it was different, or so he'd thought. Obviously it wasn't. Now he knew why she was acting the way she was. He knew why she had asked him over. He knew why she threw the idea of Mickey's or the park out the window. He knew exactly what she was doing. He knew that she was going to break up with him. There was no other explanation for it all. He had to admit at least she was being considerate enough to have said the park and Mickey's would be too public. At least she wasn't going to practically publically humiliate him. "A-about what?" He was really dreading this now.  
  
Riley, still biting her lip, looked up at him. She slid off the banister and stood right in front of her boyfriend. She was bouncing her right foot up and down very quickly. She was really starting to regret asking him over like she did at two seventeen today. She was really starting to understand why people called her a moron. Wait....Ray's the only one who calls me a moron...does that mean anything? She shook her head, What am I thinking? I have a whole other matter on my shoulders right now! I have to say something.... She avoided his eyes as she spoke, "Uh...um.." She swallowed and licked her lips for what seemed like the millionth time and shrugged. "Us..."  
  
Travis closed his eyes and took in a slightly shaky breath. He slowly opened his eyes again and looked at Riley. "What...what about us?"  
  
Riley looked around and motioned to the bench swing. "Let's...uh...sit..." She was trying to stall for a bit more time so she could get ready for his reaction. She knew that if she didn't do it soon she was going to burst and Travis would probably get annoyed. She sat down sideways, one leg under her and the other pushing the swing. Travis didn't seem to want to sit, he simply stood, leaning against the house, which Riley was facing. "I've been thinking...we've been dating for...almost seven months, right?" When she saw that he wasn't going to say anything, just simply nod, she continued. "Well...like I said, I've been thinking and...I think I...I want to...." She made a motion with her hands. "You know...take the relationship...further."  
  
Travis couldn't believe what he was hearing. Maybe he wasn't hearing what he thought he was, maybe something was wrong with his ears. If not, then he had just heard his girlfriend say she wasn't to take their relationship further. Travis simply raised and eyebrow and asked, "How so?" "Well...you know..." She imitated the motions she'd done just seconds before with her hands. "Further..."  
  
Travis was honestly shocked with Riley. He knew this would come up sooner or later but he figured it would have been later rather than sooner. He wished it would have played out that way but, what could he do? He couldn't go back in time and change things...or get inside her head and change things. Actually, now that he thought about it, getting inside his girlfriend's head would be interesting. He shook his head at himself. He couldn't believe what he was thinking at the moment. He needed to make sure she was referring to what he was thinking. "Riley...are you saying..."  
  
"What?"  
  
Travis seemed to have lost the ability to speak and simply made a motion with his hands. He wasn't sure if Riley would understand but to his relief, she understood perfectly well. She nodded furiously, "Yeah..."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N - And so ends the legacy that has become It Could Happen *crickets* ok, so maybe it wasn't a legacy but you guys like it, right? Review...please! Heh....  
  
Oh, and just so you guys know, this has been turned into a seires  
  
Part 1 - It Could Happen - Enter Riley Diane Brennon and 11th grade Part 2 - The Final Year, The Final Show - 12th grade and the final show (it's so sad *sniff* *sniff*) Part 3 - What happened? Oh...Life - Out of school (possibility of college but...I think it's going to be after that as well) Part4 - The Revival of Radio Free Roscoe - (Does this not explain itself?) R/L, T/R, & R/K's kids being in ninth grade, starting a new RFR (Ya know...I never realized how many people have names with 'R' names in this fic...lol!)  
  
There ya go, basic outline of what's going on, what I'm planning...ect. Don't ya love it? 


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